Impossible to Find
by Ransomrigged
Summary: Marceline is gone one night without a trace, but why? Was she killed, kidnapped, or did she just decide to leave? Finn knows it- he's responsible. But when he sets out to bring her home, he can't decide when, or where to stop. Cover Art by Chaos Neverthrive DA
1. Prologue

**Impossible to Find**

**Prologue **

The night was as hollow as the trunk of a fallen tree, and as deadly as a viper's poison coated fangs. The air dropped to the temperature of the Ice Kingdom, though no clumps of snow drifted from the darkened clouds. The wind was sifting the tall grasses side to side with ghostly fingers, searching for nothing.

Lurking in the gloom, the lone, motionless figure loomed silently in the greenery, only watching it sway back and forth around their knees. Hands shoved in pockets, shoulders hunched, sanguine eyes squeezed shut. Their inky mass of hair took flight with the breeze, blooming with each breath of the weather.

The axe-bass strung across their back, the small notebook that held their darkest secrets, and the clothes they wore were the only things they had- these were the only things they could take. A certain childhood memorabilia would be among their few possessions if they hadn't misplaced their trust in old relations; wasn't that one of their reasons?

They let out a low, lengthy sigh that froze in the air they were living in. No roof above their head, no walls to keep them locked inside, no floor to separate them from the earth. Wasn't this the way they wanted, or were supposed to live?

They knelt down in the field, falling into the fetal position. Miles from another soul, decades from another chance. They fear if they cry, the tears will not stop raining down.

The thoughts that made their ways into their head again are the same as the last time. What will their new name be? What will their new personality be? Where will they _go?_

Their hand clenched in, trying to remember the texture of the fabric of their only real friend. That's like wishing for rain as they stand in a desert.

The wind crashed into their side with enough force to send them to their elbows, scrawled out on the ground. The icy pricks of the tiny pebbles on their skin make no difference to them as they rested down even further on the terrain. They cradled their head in their arms, trying to forget completely of what they were leaving behind.

What was their reason?

Their goal was to disappear, to vanish one night and hopefully never return. Their objective was to dissolve, leaving _everything _behind so they could start over somewhere new as someone else. The only obstacle they faced was themselves. And there's _definitely_ a chance with overcoming that, because it always ends well when you abandon the people who you thought depended on you.

But what was their _reason?_

With every mile they flew, a heartstring was plucked mercilessly- the only thing that kept them going was the voice telling them it was for the better. What could be worse?

Within a few years, all the people they knew- or thought they knew – would forget all about them, their face would fade like a dream, their name something hard to come by again, their home would crumble and decay along with who they were.

With one quick movement, they forced themselves up from the ground and into the air from fear of falling behind the rising sun. They weren't far enough away from their past, they feared they never would be no matter how far they threw themselves ahead.

Do they even _have _a reason?

They had to make themselves impossible to recover if they were to be able to start again. Maybe that time around they won't make the same perfect mistake.

The aching in their chest grew with each mile away from Ooo, the yearning to turn around nearly conquered, the pain nearly tore them apart.

What a perfect mistake we're hoping they'll make.


	2. The Need to Breathe

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #1- The Need to Breathe**

Take a deep breath, because it just might be your last. But can you prove it is the question.

Taking deep breaths can't ever be a bad thing- could it? Who said it? He needed to take in deep breaths now. Breathing had to be good.

He, you see, has made an awful and dreadful mistake that has thoroughly been eating him from the inside out. But it was beautiful how it almost forced him to curl up on the couch and die there- so instead he curled up on the floor, and decided he wanted to die _there._

That perfect mistake made him suffer for days and nights full of terror and panic that he'd come face to face with her again.

That mistake was claiming every part of him with depression and anxiety; he just wanted to _die _there on the floor so he'd never have to see her shattered eyes again.

From the other room, he could hear the sudden padding footsteps moving towards his place on the ground. In an instant, the figure stood above his gaze, staring unimpressed upon him. "Pick yourself up, dude, I've got stuff to tell you," Jake told him, holding out a paw for him to grasp. When he doesn't take him, Jake just picks up the boy under his feet, and plops him down on the couch.

"_What?" _He moaned, falling onto his side. His cheek rubbed against the rough fabric on the seat, his long, blonde eyelashes brushing against the edge.

"You're not gonna believe me dude, but you better!" Jake warned, sitting himself next to the newly depressing, emotionless blah. Out of nowhere, he asked "I told you about how babies are made, right?"

After realization hit, he coughed loudly, and then shoved his face into the disgusting sofa cushion.

"Yeah," Jake chuckled, "I thought so…" He kicked his feet up onto the coffee table, having to stretch his shins a few extra inches just to reach it. "Anyway, about a month ago, me and Lady Rainic-"

"NO! DON'T TELL ME WHAT YOU DID!" He shouted, punching his brother's side. He slapped his hands over both nubs on his head, "SHUT IT, MAN! _SHUT. IT._"

"But it's Nature. Don't rag on Nature!" Jake tackled him, tickling his ribs until tears pricked the edges of their squeezed shut eyes. "C'mon, man up!"

He let out a drawn sigh, and rolled his eyes. "Where is this going? 'Cause if you just came over here to tell me how babies are made, go flop your hairy butt somewhere in the Ice Kingdom!"

Jake smiled warmly, braiding his arms together, "Maybe another time, Homie." He moved his gaze from him, and into space. After a drawn out moment of silence, Jake mumbled to him "Lady told me that she's sorta _pregnant."_

That's where deep breaths come in handy.

"No way," He said, forcing himself to sit up from his past position, _"SORTA pregnant? _Is that some kind of medical disease?"

Jake's eyes widen, "What? No, not sorta, she _is _pregnant… I think."

"Well, is she or isn't she?"

"She said so!"

"Well how does _she_ know?"

"I don't know! It's like a sixth sense or something!"

He threw his hands up into the air, "You're not making this any easier, bro!" He fell heavily back on his chest, breathing in deeply the stench of mutt that he recognized as home.

Deep breaths… They're so easy to come by.

Jake leaned back into the sofa, wringing his hands around each other, "But what if the kid is ugly, or something? Hybrids can be like that," He whispered to himself, not meaning for the other to hear him.

"Nah, dude, I'm sure it'll just be a flying dog or something, "

Jake looked up at the ceiling in thought, "It better be the most adorable baby ever."

He rested his head in his arms, ready to fall into an infinite sleep.

Why was it so hard to just fall asleep when he needed it?

His eyes were closed,

_In out, in out._

_Out in, out in._

He was begging him. He was on his knees, hands together in a prayer. Salty water smoothly rolled down his cheeks where the splashed down onto his indigo shirt. He was _pleading _for Jake not to make him.

Jake asked him what his problem was, but he couldn't bring himself to tell him. It needed to be kept a secret locked in a guarded vault. Jake couldn't ever know.

He was refusing to fulfill Jake's wish- He couldn't do that; _please, _anything but that! Anything…

He was absolutely, positively, completely and unconditionally terrified of what Jake was asking of him.

He _would not _go tell her the news. He'd tell Princess Bubblegum, he'd tell the Ice King; heck, he'd even tell Flame Princess- but _not _her. Anyone but _her. _Never her, never again.

He couldn't go face to face with her after it; he couldn't even speak to her on the phone! When he thought of her, he was flung even deeper into depression where he settled and refused to stand.

He _could not _do what Jake asked of him- not this time.

He was begging for another option, _begging _his brother to let him up- but for some reason he wouldn't. _Why?_

He couldn't do it; he wouldn't do it, _never._

She was terrifying. Utterly horrifying. He didn't understand how he hadn't seen it earlier in her, _even after_ she told him.

Anyone but her!

On his knees for you, for her. Crying for the both. When have you seen him like this? Isn't he supposed to be a _hero?_

What hero _was _he_? _

Painfully, he trekked across Ooo towards her home, regretting each step he took. He shouldn't have been doing it; but no matter what, Jake decided to be a total fart-face.

He sourly dove head first into the moat around her cave, immerging only when he'd come to the other side.

So badly he wanted to just lie down on the gravel covered ground and wallow in his own emotional distress, maybe even tie himself to the bottom instead of speaking with her. The idea was very appealing being compared.

He'd even go to the Fire Kingdom bare-foot if you told him he didn't have to talk to _her._

He trudged up the few stairs of her home in heavy waited clothes.

Deep breaths.

He knocked… _one… two… three _times on the hollow starch white door.

He found himself hoping that she wouldn't answer. Don't answer.

He waited. Waiting…

After ten exact seconds, he turned right around on his heel and started speed-walking back the way he came, glad to be home free. What stopped him was a noise.

It was barely audible, hardly distinguishable. He wouldn't have heard it if the cave wasn't as silent as the dead.

In a moment, he bounded back and shoved the door aside, yet no one was _in_side.

Though there was a little poodle on the floor, looking starved, and seemingly a lost cause.

"Hello?" He called out, walking around the room before picking up the dog, "Anyone home?" there came no answer, only the stillness called back to him.

The shaking animal in his arms felt lighter than he remembered. But she wouldn't starve her pet, it was so unlike her! Then when was the last time she might've fed it? A week, two weeks?

"Yo! Is anybody here?" If she wasn't, where was she? The Candy Kingdom?

He clutched the dog closer to his chest as he stumbled amid the home. "Dude! Your dog hates you!" Still no response.

If she wasn't home_, where_ did she go? How long had she been gone? Would she be back soon?

If she was gone- maybe forever -why was everything left behind?

**Special thanks to my trusty editors, and best friends, Awen and Sam. :D**

**So, I've been working on this chapter for almost a month, and it only turned out to be around a thousand words. Heh…**

**Hopefully, the next chapter won't take so long, and'll be longer.**

**Thanks as always for reading!**


	3. The Lethal Silence

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #2- The Lethal Silence**

How long had it been? A week, a month? Had it been more? Maybe it was less…

The questions were _perfect- _they were exactly what they needed.

They had to forget, they could not afford to remember. If they were to see his face in a dream, think of his voice, or even _say_ his _name_ is would all be over and done with. Everything they'd accomplished already would go down the drain, useless, because they would run back (or fly back, because that works, too) and fall at his feet to beg for forgiveness. They would refuse to ever leave "home" again, stay forever, _and die _on the land. Do you know how long that would take- how long that means they would stay?

In all conclusions, it would be best entirely for them to stay on the path they'd chosen and not think of him. It was their mistake after all, and they'd be the one to pay the price for the ignorance. Maybe one day they'd be able to forget about such a dreadful miss-step in the wrong direction.

It's kind of funny how they think those silly things.

They were kneeled down on the water's edge, staring aimlessly into the stream. Even with moonlight to illuminate the ground, they still could not see their own reflection. But that was expected.

Their mouth was closed only to bite their tongue. They mustn't speak, or they might've been heard. If someone were to hear them…

Once the nerve was brought up, a blade was brought down on the murky locks swaying around their shoulders.

They could not be heard no matter the yearning to make a moan, groan, not even a _whisper _of a swear.

The stream was soon filled simply with hair. Onyx colored strands swam in the water, making up for fish.

They were chopping away the tresses as if it were out of their control. They wanted to stop, they _desired _to end, yet they couldn't. They needed _all of it _gone or else someone might utter their old name.

If they were to hear the name it would all be out of their grasp, then what? Nothing. They'd be back where they should be if they _only _heard a _name. _They were walking on a very thin line.

After what seemed to be minutes, they lowered the axe to their lap, and the deed was done.

The cool breath of the wind lurked on their newly open neck and chest. If they were affected by temperature change, they just might feel cold without the blanket they'd grown accustomed to. They just might've… If they could see their own reflection, their heart just might've beat as well.

Sanguine eyes were half lidded as they watched what was once theirs flurry down with the waters pull.

_Pluck _went a heartstring.

The lifted themselves up weakly on staggering joints. _What a shame for them to exist. There was no place for them if they could not stand on their own two feet._

They wanted to make a sound, a _sob! _But only silence came from their lips. As always, they could make no noise; _tsk, tsk, tsk._

_You should know._

* * *

><p>What was most important, is that that didn't make a sound any louder than a thought. Even their <em>thoughts <em>had to speak softly to please. They only needed to blend into the silence, or all would be lost. Everything would tumble out of direction into oblivion if they made _any_ kind of-

"Did you hear that?" Came the voice they'd been listening to for hours; it was a very loud voice, "Dad, you heard that, right?"

The other grunted, "What could you've heard over your own jabbering?"

Sound…

The higher voice spat out a _Shut it! _Then stated that it- "Sounded like rumbling…"

The man laughed dryly, "Yeah, that's probably Glob speaking, _'James, I'm trying to get some sleep…'"_

Rustling of leaves was made as it stood, then a yelp from the man, "Stop it! I heard something, I know it!"

"_Psh, _you're just a nut," He spoke calmly, before crying out again. "Quit doing that!"

They could not be discovered just yet, the right moment wasn't in sight. _But it wasn't time yet!_

Hours upon hours…

They pressed themselves up against the trunk of the tree, their hips and the arch of their back molding into the curve of the bark. They needed to disappear until it was time.

They could not see the two of course, but words they could surly hear, scents they could inhale, shadows they could watch closely enough. Only those things were what they required to know where the man was, who he was, what he sounded like, what his shadow was like, what he just might _taste _like. That man was their prize for the hours of patience they'd spent on him and his offspring.

Silence again filled the forest after the youth paused to catch its breath.

All that clouded their breathing was the natural swishing of the branches in the wind, the calls of nocturnal animals, and the popping of the camp fire the two had lit.

The man sighed loudly to shut the kid up, "James, you mind finding some fire wood?"

They sputtered in their sentence, "What? No way! I did it last time!"

He hummed, "That's right, and you'll do it all the time, now go hither."

At just the demand in his voice, the child rose from their place on the ground, and angrily stomped away while mumbling curses under their breath, "You lazy bum!"

"Hey! _Go hither!"_

It was then time to break it.

At last, they straightened their spine, allowing the ligaments to crackle beneath the skin with certain snaps and bursts. Relief flooded into their center like water after a dam shattered, as if nothing were holding it back. They were then free the suck in a heavy breath into their lungs _at last. _They had hardly been breathing for those torturous hours.

"Who's there?" Predicted question…

The only response was the lethal silence.

They carelessly strode around the trunk of the tree, past others, and into the clearing. The flames of the fire towered feet higher in their presence, shadows grew longer, tension stretched in the quiet.

On the edge of the wood they stood, eyes as red as cherries flashing in the light. Their nose twitched as each smell wafted past them. He better be worth the wait.

They held a single, bony, ashen finger to their full, crimson lips; they gently swished their head side to side- he mustn't even _breathe._

They took a few steps closer, the golden light shining on their fair flesh in an unnatural way. They weren't meant to look alive.

The man sat on the dead leaves that had fallen from the canopy, leaning on him elbows with his dark cargo-pants covered legs crossed at the ankles. He had hiking boots tossed aside with a pack behind him, covered in mud and grass stains. His black shirt was torn at the left shoulder with a deep, bloody slash below the fabric that cut deep into his skin and muscle. And he was out there with a little kid? His face… filled with confusion. Why wasn't he afraid? Wasn't he going to scream or even put up some kind of fight for his life? His chestnut colored irises shone with curiosity, _but wasn't that what killed the cat?_

"And where did _you _come from?" He questioned hoarsely, sitting up gradually from his place on the ground.

Only from a few words, panic struck them head-first in the heart. He must not speak, he must not make any loud sounds, he must _be silent._

They pressed their finger harder against their lips, their eyes squeezing to slits. _Be quiet, be quiet, please be quiet._

They took one agony filled step closer, their heels crunching down on the shriveled leaves. Another step was spiked high with anticipation, showing within the inches the fire grew. The center of the flames began to pop and spark, _they were running out of patience._

He opened his mouth to say something-probably a question- but the words were sucked right back into his mouth from a gasp.

With more haste than they meant to use, their slender fingers were gripped around his neck, closing off his airway. With their nails, they could feel each bone of his spine as they crushed it into his esophagus. His wind pipe screeched out a high pitched whistle- the equivalent of a scream. _He understood._

His eyes, I will not say were losing light, because they _weren't. _They only grew in size, pupils dilated to the point where the abstract if the color was unrecognizable. If they were losing "Light", they wouldn't have been glimmering with tears in the fire's glow. That's what they didn't understand- Goblins felt no physical pain. If that were the case, why would he have been _crying?_

Goblins… Felt… No… Pain…

Goblins could not feel the torture they were putting them through. Good choice, at least they'd die peacefully.

What the child had heard not long ago was the rumbling of their stomach.

His mouth opened in the last moment, maybe to say something, but it was all lost to the silence.

After that _one moment, _it was all finished. His lungs took in no second breath, his eyes still and unblinking, no movement was made in his limbs- it was clear what they had done.

It was disgusting, disgraceful, horrifying, shameful, ridiculous, _nauseating. _But it was only expected because _really, _what _else _did you think? They were going to find some apples to suck dry in a land full of black? You have no idea what you're talking about.

Gently, they brought him down to the ground where they rested him within the leaves. _What a waste of such a pretty face. _Are you confused yet?

Bruises from their fingertips started to form around his throat: _Cause of Death? _A last call out was what the marks were like even after his life was gone.

First, they shoved their hands down his pockets, searching for anything useful. A blind quest left them taking out everything they felt just to see what it was he hid.

They emptied his pants' contents onto the ground beside him, and they came up with a lighter, a pencil with no tip, and a few stained napkins. _Useless man. _Why could he not have something red in his pockets?

They did not _need _the lighter, but why _not _take it? The kid would find someone to help start a fire, anyway. The pencil they took as well, they'd be able to sharpen in on a rock, or whatever.

Next they moved onto the man's pack. Yanking the double zippers down in opposite directions, they began to sort through his possessions. Inside were a few hidden worthless coins, and more pencils. One perfectly folded shirt was lain under a smaller one (probably the kid's), along with another pair of Cargo Pants, and boxers. A few cans of potatoes were there, too.

They tossed the tin out of the bag and onto the ground for whoever would find it. They replaced the empty space with their own shoes. Quickly, they stripped off their girlish top. Their marbleized skin reflected the growing light. They carefully removed the one the man was wearing, and pulled it over their own head. The same thing went for his pants, and his hiking boots. They stuffed their old clothes in to the pack as well, while taking out the child's, throwing them over their shoulder. All that they wore that was honestly theirs was their underwear, because if they wore the man's it would be really gross. That was their excuse for wearing girly undies

They lifted the sack briefly off the forest floor to see how heavy it was, just to prove if it was worth bringing with them. They estimated it was only around ten pounds, so they placed it behind them for when they were ready to leave.

The real reason they waited _so long, _was not only for the resources, it was for a meal that would last them _weeks._

How long had they been gone, again? How many people had they killed?

They impatiently took the dead man's wrist, and sunk their fangs deep within the thin bone and tendons.

This was what they were waiting for.

After the drained his entire arm, they had to move to crush down on his chest a few times and pump his heart to get blood moving to places again.

They slaughtered people like _cattle, _ate them like _snacks, _they stole from them like it was theirs the whole time. But that's just what they do…

What could you-

"Dad?"

It was the little kid. _Shit…_

"Dad, what are you doing?" What was their name again? Oh right! James… Well, James walked up from the tree line, their tiny little feet digging into the dead or dying leaves. They dropped the wood carlessly, and walked the rest of the way towards them. "Hey, is that a naked guy with you? When did he get here…?" They took hold of their shoulder, and spun them around to see their face.

They did not resist.

A smack landed right on their fair cheek. "WHO ARE YOU?"

They might've been wearing his clothes, but they were not the kids father.

"_WHO ARE YOU?" _She screamed. Loud enough to deafen them. _"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?"_

Shamefully, they wiped the droplets of blood that pricked the sides of their lips away with their new sleeve. "I'm sorry," The murmured.

Yeah, like that's gonna help, man.

"_WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?" _She pushed them aside so she could get closer to the dead man at her feet.

There's nothing to see, kiddo…

"I'm sorry," They repeated. JUST. SHUT. UP.

She shook the man from his chest, "WHAT DID YOU _DO?" _The same questions over and over again.

"I'm so sorry."

She turned back and five stared the other side of their face, _"WHO ARE YOU? I HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW!"_

That was correct, she did. They _had _killed her father, after all.

They only said their latest title-

"My name is Constantine the Vampire King."

Mistake after mistake they made.

**Special thank you to my super awesome Betas.**

**Here's a short A/N. I'm sorry how slow this story's going, and how short each chapter is. But I hope you forgive me!**

**Also, for all who are confused by this story, that's **_**exactly what I thought would happen. **_**I haven't said the main characters' names yet (and I don't plan to for a while), but YES- They're Finn and Marceline. No, "Constantine" isn't a typo. I made sure there wasn't any typos.**

**But as always, thank you so MUCH for reading, reviewing, all that.**

**-The MasterHama**


	4. The Months it Took

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #3- The Months it Took**

He was in the perfect position for failure, right from the beginning. That morning when he said his goodbyes the strongest thought breathing inside his mind was how he'd be back in the Candy Kingdom by Lunch Time. Why not? He could've stopped whenever he wanted to.

He was presented with the option to drop everything since the moment he started, so why hadn't he begun his walk back to Jake and Lady Rainicorn's "Get Together" until ten o'clock that night?

The answer was beyond him.

It only took him four days for him to think it was hopeless, a week for him to understand that it actually was impossible. Yet all day, every day for a month, he woke before the sun and returned after he could no longer feel his legs. It only took a week for him to realize it was completely his fault that she was gone. But at the same time- it took the idiot _a whole week _for him to realize that it was _all his doing_.

But in his reality, there was no avoiding speaking to her when he declared to Jake that he'd bring her home.

Every night he came back surprisingly, the same expression on his face, and the identical sentence spoken.

"Dude."

Whoever it was, they could not get through his haze.

"Dude!"

His judgment of everything was tightly sealed away within him.

"_Dude!" _

What could he be seeing through his eyes, just darkness?

"_DUDE!"_

Two hands slammed themselves down on his shoulders, balled his torn shirt into fists, and vigorously rocked him up and out of his blank thoughts.

"Dude! What happened to you?" It was Jake? Why was Jake shaking him like a jar? "Buddy, is that blood?"

What?

"Jake?" Why was Jake even there with him?

Where _was _he?

"Bro, you can't be here," That sounded like an insult.

That was the moment when the actual noise exploded right into his eardrums: The petrifying sound of _women._

It took a few moments for his completely disoriented mind to realize that Jake was in fact trying to push him back out the door from which he came.

"_What the heck are you doing?"_ He physically and mentally was incapable of putting up any kind of resistance, but at least he could open his eyes to see the colors bursting in the room he'd entered.

"Man, mans aren't allowed at these parties. Just…" The Gram-cracker double doors turned in on themselves, echoing throughout the grand hall. Jake briefly scanned all directions, "Here, sit here," He shoved him down into a Cotton Candy Loveseat, "You've gotta stay here, okay? Don't do anything stupid."

What was Jake talking about?

The candy cushions sunk down beneath him, giving him the illusion of clouds.

That day had been exhausting. All he could have wished for was to fall into an eternal slumber.

But before that could happen-

"Jake?"

He only blank.

"Are you wearing a dress?" his subconscious was rapidly taking over him with innocent and insensitive questions. It might've been his eyesight breaking in the light with unshed tears, but he could've sworn that there were large lumps on Jake's chest, covered in a green and pink cloth which traveled all the way down to his knees.

A high pitched voice replaced his brother's. _"I'm not Jake, I'm Madam Hot-Stuff," _Then- whoever Jake had turned into- walked right back into the room full of women, leaving the other behind.

He was unable to move_, _unable to think, unable to continue, so he finally let himself rest in oblivion.

* * *

><p>He wasn't alone- he could tell at least that within the moment he had woken.<p>

"Jake?" He breathed out, clamping his eyes shut from the unexpected light that shone down on his bruised face after a cloud shifted out of the way in the sky.

"Right under you."

He felt something beneath his lower back move. "Why are you _there?" _He yawned through his nose, unshed tears gathered behind his eyelids.

Full of muffles, he said, "Last night when I was bringing you to bed, you sorta fell on me," Jake flattened himself down thin enough to slide out of the other's weight, and float down to the animal-fur covered floor as a yellow sheet of paper. "It was pretty warm under your butt, I should sleep there more often."

He took in several breaths through his flaking lips to awaken his lungs, "What time is it?" The sun was usually hidden behind the window pane, though that morning it poked around in his retinas.

"Adventure time?"

"No, seriously, what time is it?"

"Oh, like eleven," He popped himself out into his typical form, "Do you really _have _to go? It's Sunday, you said you'd stay!"

Sunday? It was supposed to be Friday.

"You sure it's Sunday?" He asked, beginning to emerge out of his sleeping bag.

"Yeah man, yesterday was Lady's first Baby Shower. I dunno _why _you came to it, guys aren't allowed."

He kicked himself all the way out of the bed roll, only then completely understanding he was in his underwear. "Where did my clothes go?"

"The trash," he said simply, stretching up to his bed to sit his hairy butt down in the blanket, "They weren't doing you any good- we could see all your junk."

He felt his face warm up, "If dudes weren't allowed, why were _you _there?"

Jake gestured to the small pile of green and pink fabric on the floor, "That's what disguises are for. And I'll be using the same five more times."

He swung his bare legs around the edge of the bed, "It was a Baby Shower, right? I thought it was bad luck to have one before the baby's born," He hissed, standing up from the mattress. He took a blanket and wrapped it around his bare shoulders.

"It's bad luck to be superstitious," his doggy-face suddenly became very serious.

He only shrugged, "Whatever dude, I've gotta go," Now where we his white shorts?

Jake groaned, "But it's _Sunday, _I thought you were gonna come with me to help Lady open presents!"

"Yeah, I lied." He dropped his gaze to the glassy eyes of the slain beast below him, "I still have no idea where she is- so until I _frickin' do _there's no way I'm slowing down."

Well, actually he could stop whenever he wanted.

"You really have _zip_ so far? Where did you check?"

He blew a gust of air through his nose, "Where _didn't _I check?" He found his spare shirt from under his bed, "The Fire Kingdom hasn't seen her in months, apparently, same thing with the Ice Kingdom. I went through all of the Grasslands, every forest in existence-" He stopped short, "Dude, I even went down The Hole Near the Center of the Earth…" he squinted his eyes in shallow thought, "It wasn't fun." He abandoned the quilt around his ankles, hooking his shirt around his finger, and pulling it out of the empty space between the bottom of the bad-frame and the floor-boards.

"Why did you do _that?"_

"She could'a fell!"

"SHE. CAN. FLY."

He pulled the cloth over his head, and began searching for his shoes, "Last week I asked PB- she said she hadn't seen her in like, two months or something."

"_Months?"_

"Since October," He recovered his kicks from behind Jake's wardrobe.

"But we just got into January…" He brought his eyebrows together, "Why would she even leave, anyway?"

Leaning up against the wall, he slipped his shoes onto his feet, squeezing his fingers where the heel met. "It's not important _why," _He mumbled, tugging the collar of his shirt into the right position, "'Sides, I know I'll find her today, I already looked everywhere."

"You said that yesterday."

Was it really that simple?

He'd walked the entire continent, fought so many jerks that he probably beat some who were innocent to the ground. He put his life at risk all the time.

He _couldn't _stop.

Because it was his entire fault that she was gone.

No one else had played a part in it but him. It was just him.

The only thing that could be his safety net as he was falling would be to find her. He would be saving his own hide that time.

"Man, if I _don't _find her, I'm just gonna put up 'Missing' posters all over the place."

Jake's eyes dropped, "Dude, you're positive you went all over?"

"That's a stupid question." He grabbed his pack off the bed, and slung it across his shoulders.

"Bro, you're _sure _she's not anywhere?"

"Times a gazillion."

Jake sat up in his drawer, "Then that's it man, she's not _anywhere _here."

"What, are you saying she's dead or something?"

She could have been.

"No way!" He pinched the bridge of his nose between two doggy-fingers, "I mean, if you checked _everywhere, _and she wasn't- where else would she be that you know?"

"I'm too tired to think," He walked over to the cavity I the floor, ready to climb down.

Jake suddenly felt the urge to tackle his brother, "Dude, if she's nowhere in Ooo, then _she's not in Ooo."_

What was even outside of Ooo besides the water of the ocean?

The worst kinds of monsters lived in the sea, waiting for him, hidden beneath the fatal waves. The simple promise of drowning to death was enough to make him cower.

"Thank you, for making no sense at all."

"No, brother," Jake came back out of his drawer, stretching himself down, "If _you _didn't find her, and nobody's seen her- _plus _you went all over the place, then she's not here man. You've gotta go even farther if you're ever gonna get to her."

He would.

He _would _find her.

No matter what it took- he would bring her back home. And if believing in Jake meant he could actually have a chance at saving himself- why not take it?

"Alright," He said cynically, "let's go."

The canine's worry lines only creased. His brother was missing something critically important.

Now how should he tell him?

"I'm not going."

"What?"

"I can't."

"_Why?"_

"Because it's not right!"

"But… she's our friend!"

"Lady's pregnant!"

From the floor below, they heard Beemo scream at them to shut up.

He molded his hands into fists, "I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE'D ALWAYS STICK TOGETHER WHEN THIS KINDA STUFF IS INVOLVED IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES!"

"We _will, _Homie! But not with Lady Rainicorn almost a month away."

"IT WON'T TAKE THAT LONG!"

"It _could, _brother! It could take a heck of a long time to find this chick! We could be gone for _months _and _months _without finding her- there's _a lot _of places out there, she could be in any of them."

What other choice did he have? He couldn't just leave her behind with soon-to-be hybrids.

"Jake…"

"Look man, I wanna go- I just can't. I would if I could. Besides," He shrunk almost an inch lower to the ground, "if it's so important to find her, you can do it yourself…"

Since when? Jake had never let him go solo on adventures so far from home.

He stared for a lengthy amount of time at his bed before stripping off his green pack, and going Down-Ladder to find a larger one.

Even before he left the security of both Jake, and home, he knew for certain that he'd be gone for a while.

But _months _would be out of the question completely.

* * *

><p>Jake walked with him most of the way to the Mountain Kingdom before he had to hang right, and return to the Candy Kingdom. He hardly said goodbye to Jake. But still, he hugged him, promised him he'd be home as soon as possible- all the cheesy stuff.<p>

But what the problem was was that the only way to get to and from Ooo was by a ship which docked in the Mountain Kingdom, and went out to the Sea of Sure Death.

What was it that our hero feared so dearly?

Ahead of him was an adventure which he might never come back from. But as he walked away with nothing more to say to his brother, the fact fully set into his stomach- He was leaving Ooo utterly alone with a very slim chance of ever fulfilling his quest.

If he could turn right back around and abandon his search, he would.

Yet because more than just fixing a mistake depended on finding her, he would stop at nothing to bring her home.

Assuming she was still out there.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ooooooookay. I'm REALLY sorry for how long this took. The reason for its lateness is nothing more than lack of motivation, because I've been studying quite a lot for (stupid) state testing. Uuuurgh….**

**BUT ANYWAY, I do hope you don't completely hate me, enjoyed the chapter at least a little, all that good stuff. **

**And as always, thank you for reading! :D**


	5. The Vagabond

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #4- The Vagabond**

What could you possibly expect in a world of darkness? There was nothing left spared when the storm rolled in and literally never drifted away, preferring to stay as part of the climate instead of the weather.

Where he was, was everything he had remembered- which was why he left in the first place- but Constantine instantly could tell that things had changed in his years away.

The physical appearance of _The_ _Land with No Name _was exactly the same when he departed; the only things different were the people living there on account of all their deaths over time. With no familiar faces to be reminded of, his old home was flawless to inhabit again.

The clouds from so long ago were still thick enough to take sunlight and send it right back out into space, creating the only permanent existence of darkness on the ground in a 600,000 mile radius. No plant life was out of danger with the brightness gone, leaving only the corpses of forests to rot away over the decades like garbage.

The few towns around were as bright as mid-day, lighten by only ancient field, street, and spot lights. More specifically, those awesome decorations couldn't singe Constantine's colorless skin no matter how hard they tried. Without the sunlight he was forever threatened with, he could live life just a little bit freer without ever thinking _I'm about to blow up that gas ball in the sky. _

But like buying a home, the place came with up and downs- Constantine was no one important to anybody, royalty or not. He could fall dead on the side of the road and nobody would really care… they'd probably take his stuff, but they wouldn't really care. He was about as known as the next guy from Ooo, barefoot and raggedy like the king he was. With a black sweatshirt for his robe, and a lanky feminine body as a figure head, he could be the Leader of Vagabonds that nobody gave a damn about.

That was what mattered to him. Just as long as nobody knew who he was, everything would be okay.

He was standing silently on the edge if the road, fists shoved into his pockets, shoulders hunched over, eyes glaring upon the flier stapled to the telephone pole.

The sheet of paper had at least 20 staples on all sides, which was seriously wasteful and a reflection of stupidity of the person who had put it up. In capital, bold letters, the word "WANTED" was printed above an artist's drawing. "CONSTANTINE THE VAMPIRE KING".

For the longest time, he could not tear his anxious gaze away. Worry and Fear were clashing for battle inside him where his heart fell into a deep dark abyss. "CRIME: MURDER AND THEFT". He was having trouble breathing without screaming out for his life, for below his near-perfect picture was the sentence "TWENTY-THOUSAND DOLLAR REWARD GIVEN IF TURNED IN DEAD OR ALIVE".

He was shaking inside his sweatshirt, terror claiming every space left within him.

He had done nothing wrong, really. It was just the nature of things that he needed to kill. Stealing didn't matter after his victims were dead, seriously. But what he could not fully understand was _how _they found out, or _who _could've given them his description well enough for it to look almost exactly like him, let alone who actually reported him.

Other than _total fear, _he was pretty impressed; did Whoever-Reported-Him have a death wish, or something? BECAUSE HE'D HAVE DEVOUERD THEM BY THEN IF HE KNEW WHO THEY WERE.

He had brought himself down enough to study the artist's hundreds of precise pen strokes- the angles in his face and the drawing were exactly alike, along with his facial features. It was freaking him out.

His fear combined with approval had begun to turn into sure anger.

DAMNIT. THAT GUY RUINED EVERYTHING. TURNING HIM IN, GIVING HIS FACE- DAMNIT.

He flushed a gust of air out of his nose, finally shutting his eyes. He could foresee everything he had planned falling apart before the ideas were even brought to life.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" He roared, the flier erupting into flames right on the post, burning to ashes, then drifting to the sidewalk like black snow.

As far as he knew, he never even told anyone his name. He didn't leave anyone alive.

What, was someone watching him?

He instantly spun around, looking for anybody but no one was there to be found.

He could have been going crazy.

He raised a hand to his forehead, wiping the nervous sweat from his brow. What was he going to do with everyone on the lookout for him?

He groaned as he picked up his Sack O' Junk, slinging it on the opposite shoulder of the guitar before walking down the road, taking down flier after flier.

There were only a few hundred more to destroy.

It was probably around two days later, but it equally could have been the same day. Without sunrises or sets, it became increasingly harder to keep even a natural sense of time. But that didn't exactly matter; he was sitting right outside a Corner Store with his hood up and ready to go, looking a hell of a lot like a ninja.

He was no thief, but the pass of time had trickled down with his resources, and boiled into his last resort.

He wasn't very ready to jump into the term _Thief,_ he was a king: A REAL king, where people should be bowing down to him and giving up their possessions at the word.But why he was so afraid to act upon that power was confusing enough.

He didn't know what town he was in, what day of the week it was, what time it was- he didn't even know the name of the store he was planning to take apart.

Crouched next to the door, his arms wrapped around his legs looking more pathetic than a ninja. He was feeling pathetic, being forced to do something so expected from him.

_Wanted for murder and theft._

"I'm not a thief," He whispered against his shoulder in a very angsty way.

He had never been a pickpocket mainly because stealing extinguished everyone's pride and honor (which was something he didn't have much of). Thieves were some of the lowest people around.

He was ready to rip out his oil-slick choppy emo hair. Going against what he knew was a enough, but on an empty stomach…

He smacked himself against his cheek, "Pull yourself together, Constantine! Stop getting so emotional!" Man, he was about to cry…

It could've been the day before that he fell into a ditch, and all his stuff got messed up as the honest reason for his presence at the store. He was desperate for replacements, and couldn't exactly get a job smelling like a dead body.

He jumped up from the ground, and on instinct shattered the glass door with the heel of his combat boot. He bolted into the store, snagging the first backpack off the shelf, and shoving as many pieces of clothing into it as possible.

Breaking for the food isle, he screamed out "DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY!" but no answer came back. "HEY? WHO'S HERE?" Busy throwing barbeque potato chips under his arm; he was listening for anyone's breathing, footsteps, or heartbeat.

He dropped to his knees, tearing open the bag, sucking a handful of chips dry at a time.

He didn't know the last time he'd eaten let alone the next time, so he was taking everything he could all the while holding down the horrible feeling inside him.

He could feel the tightness in his throat and the pressure in his eyes signifying he was about to bawl like a wimp.

Wasn't he supposed to be a king?

"This sucks," He wiped the streaks from under his eyes with his sleeve, leaving behind trails of dirt. He scoffed down some more chips and red cakes before zippering up the cheap pack, and slinging it behind him.

He shoulder rolled back to the door, snagging a box of baby wipes.

"Oh… dang it…" The next breath he took in was icy cold, freezing his insides and biting his heart.

"Put your hands up where we can see them!"

Panic was shaking his foundation, then crumbling to the ground, "NEVER, SICKO!"

Red and blue lights from the cop cars painted his pasty features like a piece of abstract art, truly showing the fear in his eyes.

He felt like a kid getting caught doing something wrong by their mother. Only on that big a scale, he was seriously contemplating whether he should bail, or knock them all to the ground. "THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL EVER GET ME IS IF I'M DEAD!"

Shouting out his conflicted emotions, he was ready to fight them out, too. "COME GET ME, LOSERS!" The dozens of Goblin-Coppers only stood there crouched down with their hands over the pouches which held their guns.

He growled under his breath as no fight was clear enough for him to see. "WHATEVER!" He held tight to his new belongings, and jumped right up into the air, soaring without wings.

"I'LL CATCH YOU GUYS LATER!" He waved lightly over his head, about to pick up his speed. But he was stopped abruptly by something unknown- whatever it was it had to be something impossibly stupid.

A metal chord entangled itself around his wrist, effectively blinding him for a moment of shock. A second snagged around his curvy waist, yanking him down harder. "GET OFF'A ME!" He shouted, attempting to pry himself loose. The next flung out from the ground and caught around his free hand, then forcing both his arms behind his back into a classic position. The last was thrown and constricted around his knees, ensnarling them tighter together than the line to see Abadeer.

All he was thankful for was that none were brought around his neck.

He was about to shout out some fly curses and insults, but his breath was beat out of his lungs as the idiot below wrenched him ferociously back down to the earth.

His back slammed down into the breaking pavement, hunks of cement wedging into him leaving bruises. He could hear the crushing inside his pack beneath him, most of the items bursting open and mashing into nothing useful.

His insides shrunk with an confusing sense of betrayal- all he had done wasn't worth anything since whatever he had picked up was broken into everything worthless.

He was flailing around on the ground, trying to rub the aching away in his back. Thanks to those chords, his flexibility was nonexistent so he could hardly move without hurting himself more in another area of his body.

He screamed out a _LET ME GO, _but all that came to him was the unforgiving silence. _LET ME GO _he had repeated until his throat became to hoarse to even breathe without the feeling of air cutting through the skin in the back of his throat.

A ridiculous officer then took his hood, and began dragging him across the ground towards an awaiting truck.

Sharp rocks pushed into his shredded pant legs as he was skidding across the road, squirming as much as he could against the police man. "Dude, you gotta let me go! I… I have a kingdom to rule over! I've got stuff to do! I'm on a business trip!"

"Shut up, Constantine." He murmured, picking him up and tossing him into the back of the holding cage.

He all of the sudden stopped moving, and let the guy thrash him around. How _long _were those people hunting him down? How did they know where he was? Why would they even call him by his _name?_

He slid across the slick metal, slamming into the back of the truck with the side of his face.

The two solid steel doors turned in on him, whispering in his ear what sure darkness looked like

He laid there quietly for minute, eyes unblinking. He had no idea what he'd done to be shunned away with such distaste and dishonor.

He had been living in a world of black for quite some time, but in that one minute he fully took on the weight of the loneliness he had been ignoring.

As that feeling washed over, him drowning in his own emotion, he knew that there was nothing he could do to escape himself or the mess he had gotten into. He then realized there was no turning back on who he had chosen to become.

He let himself lie down on the metal floor to cry his heart out, because he finally knew there was no one in the world to care.

**YEAH, first update of the Summer! You know what that means? I have no life for the next few-ish months! So, expect more frequent updates, and if they're not going fast enough for you, tell me. Seriously.**

**I enjoy reviews no matter what, even if you're a Flamer or if you're not a Flamer.**

**And for an unrelated A/N, I am Tag-Teaming up with IcyBlackDragon in a Makkora fic, so be ready for that from us in a few weeks or so. Gracias…**

**Thank you for reading!**


	6. The Moves Ahead

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #5- The Moves Ahead**

She didn't need anybody to tell her she was doing wrong. Aside from the police, she hadn't seen anybody for days. But that was perfectly alright.

She had no problem roaming around on her own; she'd learned enough over the years. But _hey, _it didn't _matter; _she was getting someone to help her take down the murderer, no big deal. She was planning out the next few days carefully in her mind like a game of chess, three moves ahead from everybody else, and in those three moves she would _kill_ the Vampire King.

And even when the game would be over, she'd take down his queen as well _just for fun._

Yes, James was a cold-blooded killer when she needed to be, but for the first time her victim was no radiated animal for lunch. That time around she would be killing not even for revenge; she would be just so she could teach the King that even a pawn like her could play a part in taking him down from just 3moves.

The weather had been threatening that day, forcing her to stay hidden in her fortress of black tarp and decaying branches if she didn't want to get burned. She had broken into her bag of dried meat to pass the time as there was nothing she could do but wait. Just a dozen feet away was the trip wire, stretched a step from the main trail from the docks to the nearest town that most travelers took. Hanging above was the trap, ready to descend and take a prisoner for her- but it would take somebody very stupid (or new) to set off her trick because she _was not _the first to do this. It was expected from the people living there.

She was no tracker, and the policemen were all assholes, so she had her chances where someone smart would come walking down the road…

But that was hopeless, there was no such thing as a new traveler; who would want to go to the Cloud Forest?

* * *

><p>Our hero wasn't exactly at his highest point on that ship; upchucking everything he ate and pissing his pants instead of going to the "bathroom" like the role-model he was.<p>

He spent most of his time above deck because when he was below he could very much feel the ocean from behind the wooden hull walls. He'd rather _see _the ocean than _experience _it, as it also was a welcoming bucket for his puke.

Yeah, he was over his fear of the ocean… mostly.

His 6 day long voyage from the Mountain Kingdom's ship ports and through the intricate windings of the pass which led directly to the Sea of Sure Death sucked. From there they sailed north, past the Shiny Isles to their destination of the Cloud Forest, which sucked even more.

The Cloud Forest wasn't a _forest_ at all, but it got people lost all the time which is usually what forests do. The land it blanketed had no real name since it was so insignificant; it wasn't even on the map…

"What _is _that?"

It resembled a hurricane, stirring in the sky like the smoke from a fire. It spanned miles in all directions, engulfing anything to come its way with a shadow thick enough to be a solid. As one huge mass of cloud, it worked hard to keep below as murky as it possibly could. Even from the ship's distance, our hero could clearly see the beams and pins of lightning burst inside the storm's belly, and hear it mourn with wails of thunder.

The sailor looked up from tying ropes down to a stub of wood, "The Cloud Forest?"

He whistled, "_That's _a _forest?" _A sail on the ship was pulled back up the mast, and wrapped tight so the wind wouldn't destroy the vessel.

"Well," Mr. Sailor-Man wiped his hairline with his wrist to clear his vision, "It's just called that."

But why were they aimed right _into it? _Did those men want to _die?_

"Why are we going there?" He had been on that ship for a _week; _he needed to get looking for her somewhere not-so-dangerous-looking, just in case he was wrong for whatever reason.

"Don't be such a wimp," The guy started tying off another rope, "We just need to make a delivery."

"Looks like it's gonna rain," He stated randomly, hitching his pack a bit higher.

"We'll be out before that happens," He answered calmly, walking off like the loser he was. Sailors are losers, you know.

Seasickness was supposed to stop after 2 days or so, but whatever was up with him had nothing to do with the rocking of the vessel. He had been upchucking all week, and he was the only one who knew why. All the while he was scared of just the water, but the reason he was on the ship.

The last time he saw _her_ was when everything became ruins, but that was _so _long ago- it was months. That fear of confronting her again still conquered the heroic part of him every time he thought of what happened between them. Just picturing her face from that night made him want to-

Over the railing went whatever was left in his stomach.

It was his entire fault for what had gone down, and he defiantly was paying the price for what he'd done to her.

As soon as they crossed over into Cloud's shadow a colder wind was blowing in their sails asking for them to turn back.

Unlike the sailors, he was planning to stay on the tiny land mass until he found her-

Because he _knew _she was there (or at least nearly positive), hiding from him as he had been her for those wasted months.

* * *

><p>Mr. Sailor-Man had his full sweaty finger pointed in the direction of a road, which several horse driven carts were already attending, "Just follow it, Freak-show."<p>

He was ankle deep in the freezing ocean, emptying his stomach and still trying to get his land legs back, "Thanks…"

Yes, yes, he was one to take adventure and eat it, but he'd never left the very dirt of Ooo in his life and it was _really _exciting. He knew that he was off the ship, and he couldn't lie anymore and say that _"It's just seasickness," _because it definitely wasn't any longer. It wasn't his fear of the ocean either (even though he was so totally over that).

He was completely _terrified _of facing her, like, Wanna-Crawl-in-a-Blanket scared. And remember, he's supposed to be your hero in your time of need, but not even he could overcome such a mistake. As he stood in the water, he thought of what was getting in the way of him trying to make it through repair.

He spat a few times before walking back out of the water, and jumping onto the road which led right into a seriously creepy wood of dead trees.

He hadn't been second guessing or getting sidetracked since he left Ooo like he usually did, but walking alone without Jake down an eerie road alone in a world of night alone had started to get to him. Well, he'd been _everywhere _in Ooo numerous times to the point where he knew the land better than he knew his own house, since he wasn't there much anyway. Well, he actually hadn't gone anywhere except for the living room and the bathroom for a while since he was too much of an angsty and hurt teenager to do anything but mope around.

But at that point in time, he was no longer feeling depressed or emotional or strait up lousy- he was feeling genuine fear- and that was enough to take him out of the dumps for at least a little while until the feeling (like all) would pass over him, and he'd be able to burry himself in couch cushions again where no one could bother him.

After about twenty minutes of adventurous walking, he began to notice how the humidity was gluing the skins his armpits and the insides of his thighs together, making adventurous walking a little bit difficult and uncomfortable.

A crash of thunder went off in the dark sky, actually making the ground shake a bit.

It was going to rain obviously, but that was probably the least of his problems as some of the bulbs had begun to flicker on and off like strobe lights before they failed, leaving him in the pool of black.

"YO!" He shouted, bringing his eyes wider in an attempt to see through dark.

No answer came back for him, proving he was truly alone. _If only Jake were there…_

He didn't need a flashlight, actually.

He took the hilt of his Demon Sword from its cut piece in his bag, swishing it around a bit so it would light up. Awesome.

"HEY! SOMEBODY!" He slid his heels on the gravel of the road and he took baby steps forward since swords aren't great light sources, since it just glows.

He went on like this for a few minutes only enough light to illuminate 2 square feet.

Then something hit him- literally. Well, _he_ actually crashed into the thing face first.

He held his nose, making sure it wasn't actually broken, trying to brush little pieces of bark from his skin. Somehow, he had managed to swerve off the track and into a tree. _"Ow…" _ He groaned, walking away from where he stood- right into another tree. He spat out curses, doing his best not to hit anything else, and make himself look even worse.

So, how he accomplished to trip over a branch was beyond him. He came crashing on his face to the dirt and a protruding tree root right between his eyes with a _throbbing _pain. His oversized pack rolled right over shoulders keeping him down to the earth.

He ground his rows of teeth together, trying not to shout out. But_ that hurt._

He rolled over onto his back, and let out a long sigh, "THIS STINKS."

And it definitely was only getting poorer. He could already feel the bruise forming on his head.

He hadn't gone prepared for a one-sided fight with a forest, -two-sided sure- but it was getting harder than he originally thought it would be and he'd only been there for around half an hour. It was a mistake to even leave Ooo!

And that was when he heard some ominous rustling coming from behind him, like a cheesy horror movie from the 1980's.

He lay stiff for a moment before bounding from the ground, and "DIIIE!" came from him as he tackled the Whatever-Thing until it went down.

He was about as blind as a hagfish, but that didn't stop him from wrestling Whatever-Thing, pinning its shoulders to the dirt the same time thunder detonated in the sky.

"_Get off'a me!" _ It was then trying to squirm away- ha, no way was it getting from him!

"I'LL KILL YOU, AND YOUR EVIL FAMILY!" He took its hair in both of his hands, thrashing their skull around fully believing he was encountering a monster. A really _evil _monster, trying to sneak up on him, and take the upper hand!

"GET OFF YOU MUTANT! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" It then oh so very gracefully bit his shoulder with its evil coated fangs of _badness _so he'd let go. It then took the back of his pack, and flung him an extra like… 2 feet forward, so this stupid stringy thing went right into his eyes.

There was a whirring, and an even more malicious stuff being stretched over him in a _net, _trapped.

"Who do you think you _are?" _A flare was lit up those 2 feet away from him, enlightening the area around the two of them, "some kind of _pedophile?" _

The artificial flame revealed its face to be a young girl's, a very angry and evil goblin girl, "No… I'm just confused…" He shrunk back into what he could then tell was actually a net, set up to trap him.

"Confused?" she half screamed, half laughed, "I should smack some sense into you, then!" she took several steps closer to him, with the flare in on hand, the other a fist.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's okay, totally okay, I'm not that confused to be honest!"

She crunched her industrial hiking boot right on his pathetic Leisurely-Walking shoes, smashing all 5 of his toes. He cried out, all of his piggies broken in his left foot. He scooted back as far as the crazy net would let him.

"OW. OW. OW. STOP. OW." He could feel the tears in his eyes, _he cried all the time!_

"How do I know you won't heal in the next three seconds, eh? I'VE MET PEOPLE WHO COULD DO THAT." She brought a fist to his jaw, hitting him a lot harder than anyone would have originally supposed.

"BECAUSE I CAN'T DO THAT!" He squeezed his eyes shut, sniffling a bit like a beaten puppy.

"Your hat is stupid." She said cynically, her chin tilting down to glare at him dead on.

He pouted, "No it's not; my hat is awesome…"

She spat on his blue shirt, "What good are you to me? You can't even hold your own to a girl _half your size_." She pointed a finger at him to prove where she stood on the playing field.

"I just came out of depression. _Lay off, would you_?" His head dropped to look at the wet spot on the cloth.

She scoffed, dropping the flare on the ground. "I could knock you out right now, you know that right?" She looked a lot more dangerous to him at that moment than the Cloud Forest ever would.

He shrugged.

"But I'm not doing that, because I need your help with something," From her back pocket, she pulled a flier, and held it in front of his face so he could see, "You see this guy? You're going to help me find him."

"Why would I do that? I'm already here to find _my _friend."

"HE'S NOT MY FRIEND!" She shouted, easily competing with the next surge of thunder.

She folded the paper back up, "If you help me get the man who _killed_ my father, I'll help _you _find your buddy. Alright?" Her Goblin-face held a genuine smile, a genuinely _evil _smile.

"Well, that's great and all, but you just _killed_ my toes and I'm pretty sure I can't walk; so unless you wanna carry me-"

"Whatever. Just help me?" She raised her Goblin-Eyebrows in expectation, suddenly kind instead of Mamba-Deadly.

He sighed, "Fine." He would always be a hero, no matter the circumstances.

She carried the mesh off of him as he briefed her on everything she needed to know to help him on his mission, "And what did you say your name was?"

She took his arm to help him up from the ground, "James."

He knew it right from the beginning, James was pure evil- but he didn't know that she was already 3 moves ahead.

**OH MY GLOB. I HATE OCs SO MUCH, I'M SORRY. I HATE THEM.**

**I do not approve of OCs for anyone to ever use ever, I don't even know why I did… Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh… I hate OCs with my entire existence.**

**Alright, may I explain the title of this chapter? **_**"The Moves Ahead" **_**refers to a three move Check-Mate, where in a game of Chess, it's implied that you plan three moves ahead of where you stand on the moment. And as you all know, the goal in Chess is to kill the King- as in Constantine the Vampire King… wordplay master, anyone? Oh, and there's such thing as a three move Check-Mate (I KNOW IT!), well- there's two different ways to do it but **_**blah blah blah **_**Chess.**

**Thank you for reading and commenting! **


	7. The Hidden Vindictive

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #7- The Hidden Vindictive**

He hadn't a care for what those people were telling him, he had more important things to worry about. He had known what was coming for him for quite some time, but not even that was worth his attention.

"Murder is punishable by death," the Spider-Judge's voice moved through the air, passing right over him.

"So?"

All eyes turned to his cynicism. "What?" Somebody in the jury called ironically.

Constantine shrugged, throwing his head to the side so his dark locks would hide his eyes, "What good'll killing me do? How do you know this guy didn't _deserve _to die?"

Someone answered by saying "Nobody deserves to die."

He scoffed, "So why do _I?" _Things got quiet for a moment.

It was the course of nature for a vampire to kill, but never would people accept nature for itself- not even when animals were in on it. People had always tried to control nature, to change its ways with blind eyes. When they'd save one thing, they took down another- why must they punish him for what he was _meant _to do?

"You're not being forced to remain silent, but we expect you to- _so zip it_." The Spider-Judge told him, breaking out a file with 4 of his 8 hair legs while giving him an _Or You'll Get It _look.

He rolled his eyes, resting his chin on his shoulder, "Jerk…"

Constantine had no representative, but he didn't have a "Half of the Story" to tell either. He was hands-down guilty, and everybody knew it.

The obnoxious lights were blaring a sickly greenish-gray color, like the one's you'd find in a hospital at night. The gray linoleum floor tiles looked cheap and unclassy while the furniture spread around the courtroom was partly in tack. It was one of those places that made you really sleepy in just a few minutes.

The wizard police officer standing steps away was staring him down.

"Constantine, you're dead guilty! Don't try and hide it!" That random guy shouted out.

"I'm not hiding anyth-"

"SHUT UP!"

He groaned, tossing his head back, "What is _wrong _with you people?!"

"Murdering poser!"

"Your face is about to make good friends with the pavement!" He spat, attempting to rise out of his seat before the titanium chains around his ankles caught him. He was ready to rip the restraints to pieces if not for the wizard officers armed with garlic powder spells.

He didn't feel afraid for his life, or sad for the guy he killed, not regretful or anything like that if that's what you were thinking- he was bored out the wazoo with a throbbing headache thanks to his neon yellow jumpsuit.

The arachnid started reading off the file, through a cracked megaphone held on one of his several… appendages. "Murder of-" whatever, "theft of-" it didn't matter, "daughter, reported and-" nobody cared, "punishable by death, or life in prison." The judge ended and turned to the King, "Do you plead guilty, or Innocent?" His voice held an icy tone, as if he were a parent ready to force him to say the truth.

Everyone in the courtroom glared at him as he smirked behind a bowed head. "I suggest you put a stake through me quick, or I'll just do it myself after I squash you beneath my _shoe."_

* * *

><p>He was sitting in his pathetic excuse for a cell, trying not to fall asleep.<p>

But no, no he couldn't pass out just yet while the guard was still wide awake. It wasn't anything bad, you should know, it was only part of this escape plan so simple it was _frightening._

His cell was made of pure steel and titanium on all walls, floor, and ceiling. His bed was a box mattress with no frame with a flat pillow and a stained sheet. His bathroom was a toilet in the corner with some baby wipes.

In the high left corner was a ball shaped camera, watching every move he made and every breath he took. He was feeling pretty smug about it, all because of his ideas for his little mechanical stalker.

He was waiting for the time to act, hoping he could just stay _awake_ for it

He was being kept in isolation for the main reason of "Vampires are Insane and Blood Thirsty", and that wasn't completely a lie. He laughed lowly to himself; isolation was already getting to him, and it had only been a week. Maybe.

Sitting on the edge of his "Bed", elbows on knees and head in hands, he was questioning if the right moment had came without him knowing. But he was ready to pass out, and doing so was becoming increasingly easier as the time was pulling his eye lids shut. He was perfectly capable of lying back with his arm over his eyes to block out the light and _sleep. _He definitely could do that. He could already feel his body shutting down. He could fall right back and-

"I hate how you guys hate me." He said, rubbing his face up and down in an attempt.

He forced himself to his feet and started pacing. It had to be at least a day and a half since he'd rested last, just crushing his soul with sad thoughts. He had been given a lot of time to think, but he hadn't thought once of the presumed reason he was there. He had been planning his great escape, but not even that was much entertaining (or great), as he came up with over a dozen different ways to break.

Constantine didn't really even know why he was even _still _in the cell, since he really could have just ripped the building apart with his Vampirific Powers. He had been given some nice meals comparable with Vladimir Tod's, but not even that was worth isolation.

He hadn't had the energy to grow into a vicious monster and tear the cell to shreds the entire time he was there, and the next day was meant to be his last and he was running out of time.

He stopped his pacing, and took the pillow case from the bed. He went right up to the camera and wrapped it around its lens. He then sat down on the ground next to the door; it had to be opened by a _drowsy_ guard eventually.

His plan was painfully simple, so simple that it was a smack to the face of those people. He didn't even _need _to have been there a week; he really could have left any time. But no time was as perfect as then, and that was worth waiting for.

* * *

><p>"You just <em>really <em>had to step on me, _didn't you?" _He spat, adding another bandage to his foot.

"You threatened to _kill _me." James yelled, tying down the tarps for the fifth time. She was running around, grabbing branches and adding them to her fortress, saying it would help keep it water proof or something like that.

He had his huge pack lying on the ground next to him, his awesome sword held under his armpit, "I thought you were something… _vicious_," He had knotted the wrappings as well as he could for his long experience with injuries, "like a crocodile."

It had to have been about 15 minutes since he'd met James the Goblin Girl, and he already had started realize what a mess he'd gotten himself into. She was a cruel, heartless, vengeful, stony gal, and he had become seriously concerned for her future just from those 15 minutes. She broke his toes and said they'd be walking a few miles after the storm passed (even though he was planning to do that, anyway).

Another airstrike of lightning went through the clouds, completely blinding the both for a few seconds.

"Get inside!" She yelled, abandoning her preparations… and him, by diving into the little structure.

He threw his hands up, "Wow." Crawling on one knee, dragging his stuff behind him, he began to make his slow progress to the Castle of James.

The lightning had lit up, holding him in place for just a moment- but a moment long enough for the clouds to let off and share with him their anger.

It was the rain he wasn't used to, well in fact, he knew know other rain. If it wasn't objects, what other things could fall from the sky?

"OH MY GLOB!" He didn't know what the heck it was, but it _burned _like hugs from Flame Princess, and it was all around him in little bites on his open skin.

He jumped for his life into the tent, shoving James out of the way to safety.

"Great, you left all your junk," She pointed out the entrance.

He was lying on his stomach, breathing hard with his cheek to the dirt floor, too cautious to move, "That wasn't what I was… _expecting?" _He brought his gaze to her, and raised his brows.

"That stinks," She leaned back on her elbows so she could see his so sorry face, "It was a dumb move to be on the trail when you knew it was going to rain _in the first place,"_

"I just wanted to get to a town today, so I could start looking for my friend tomorrow." His arms had begun to simply _sting, _instead of burn. He didn't know that a shower could hurt so _MUCH. _

"Your friend better be worth getting caught in a storm."

You see, a storm wasn't even the beginning of what he'd do to find her. He'd already left home without Jake to unknown territory just to. He was planning on staying under the Cloud Forest until he found her- and he _knew _she was there for one very specific and currently unnamed reason.

As I've said before- it was _all his fault _she was gone. He knew she clearly was no longer around because of what he'd done and what he'd said, and he planned to find her before something really bad happened. Though the task was showing its ugly face as difficult, he had to keep reminding himself that the mission was not entirely for their relationship, or his pride- it was for someone else _completely, _and this someone else was our very own Princess Bubblegum, and what he'd done totally ruined _her_ life as well as _his_. He hadn't spoken to her for the obvious reasons of his fear and depression over a course of months, but indirectly he knew that she was feeling just like he had been not too long ago, and if not worse.

"It's the thought that counts."

"Not really," She looked back out to his bag, "It's too bad, I bet you had some more medical stuff in there."

"Go get it!" He yelled, flicking his eyes from her to outside.

She shook her head.

Everything he had brought with him was worth running into flaming rain for! But James didn't know that (and probably wouldn't care anyway), and he would rather go the Night-o-sphere than have her probe his bag.

He slowly sat up, the tips of his awesome hat touching the roof of the tent, a little portable electric lamp swinging from the pole across the top. The skin on his arms and thighs was starting to turn pink, and sting like rug-burn.

"Can I see that picture again?"

She pulled out the folded sheet, and flicked it into his lap.

The drawing of Constantine was completely different in the better light, he could make out every line and shadow of the picture with each stroke and erase. Even the blank expression on his face shocked him.

There was only ONE explanation for their resemblance, only _one_- "Dude! I think Constantine is my friend's brother!"

James looked at him with suspicious eyes, "I'm killing him anyway, you know." She turned to her bag, and pulled out a pouch of sunflower seeds.

"But just listen! What if she left to visit her brother? Or he kidnapped her. Maybe she wanted to go on a vacation!"

"Yeah, I would go on a vacation," she popped a handful of seeds into her mouth.

He went on as if he hadn't heard her, "I know she's here 'cause a long time ago _she told me_ she used to live here, and that she'd come here whenever she was in emotional stress or something."

She held out the pouch to him.

"I mean, she had to have come here. There's nowhere else to go besides the Shiny Isles, but there the sun never sets, right?" His hand dove into the seeds, and brought them to his mouth, _"she hab do."_

She shrugged, spitting an opened capsule outside to where it was set on fire.

He watched the tiny flame go out- The Cloud Forest was totally awesome.

But what if she did actually leave Ooo for another reason entirely, him having nothing to do with it _at all? _He knew that it was a stupid thought, but he could still hope that what he was sure of was wrong.

He was completely guilty and if people heard what had happened he would be _in so much trouble _that he'd be afraid to even walk out of his home on a daily basis- but all he could do was hope that she would be worth going through all the trouble to find her.

* * *

><p>Life after his break-out was harder than he had expected. Immediately he noticed that it must have rained the previous day, for all of people to still walking around with tinfoil umbrellas.<p>

He was sitting silently in a tree, just outside the village border; the lights were unable to touch him, concealing him in the dark like one-way glass. He _wasn't_ hiding, he _wasn't _afraid. All he was doing was waiting for an amazing idea to hit him, he was notorious for those.

He sat in the gap between two branches, his arms and legs draped over the both. His decisions were going at a slow pace, much slower than he'd wished for them to after he decided he needed to come up with some just to settle his mind.

He wasn't ready at that time, specifically for anything. If he were to be ambushed, he'd also be doomed because He would just let it happen and cry himself to sleep afterward. He was in thoughts too deep to focus on what needed to be.

What he was thinking so intently about was the truth of his presence to others. _Did they truly hate him? _He didn't want to hurt anybody, but he didn't have a choice, don't they _understand? _He wouldn't kill for any reason; he wasn't angry at the world- just misunderstood and not given the pure chance to open their eyes to what was only nature.

But nature goes to the Cloud Forest to die…

He had come to the conclusion that he had lost the will to change from being a vampire, as he then knew that there was _no changing. _He'd tried at times after seeing what a disgrace people saw him as. He hoped they knew that he wasn't proud of being what he was; he really didn't have a choice.

He was taking a huge fall by not bowing to them, but he was not there to survive and that was what he needed to keep reminding himself of.

He would fall eventually, but being pushed by those people who wanted to shut him away would _never _be allowed to push him while he was still standing by the power of his own two legs.

Please know, none of this made sense out of his mind and it does not surprise me if you do not comprehend, but his mind was quickly being smothered by itself, and there was no way to reverse what had begun months ago painfully without pain itself.

He could truly say that he had no heart string left un-plucked may it have been his own nostalgic memories, or the emotions he refused to let up from their prison within him.

He could feel the burning tears trail down his cheeks, and drop to his fading sweatshirt. _Was he really alone in his new life? Would anything ever compete with what he once had?_

He needed to know something, though- he never had anything. Nothing was ever his, aside from Hambo. _But not even he could hold Hambo close enough to his chest long enough to withstand a cold-blooded fate and the passing of time._

Leaving was supposed to light another fuse for a new life to burn, but he could then see that there was no fuse to light in the first place.

He sat there for several hours maybe, just thinking, and weeping in the dark where nobody could hear see.

Nobody would _ever _be able to find him.

* * *

><p>"I'd really appreciate it if you could stop grunting," She said emotionlessly, looking back at him lugging his huge bag and leaning on a make-shift crutch from half a tree branch.<p>

He didn't answer, trying to catch his breath through the humidity.

She either was stupid enough to not understand, or didn't care.

They had taken apart and packed up the Castle of James into organized rolls held together by dead ropes of ivy and strips of tarp.

She didn't offer for him to stay behind- they had a _deal. _He was a badass, a hero, and a role-model; he was going to walk with 5 broken toes, a 40 pound pack, and a crutch no matter what the _cram _got in his way. He would be taking down anybody who wanted him to stop, keeping his first goal in mind and the reason for it. He wasn't going to take a break, wasn't going to ditch something to make the load lighter- he was a hero and going to live up to that title. He would fight until the end, and there wasn't anyone going to slow him down. Probably.

But James could at least hold on the _insults _and _comments. _She was taking advantage of his position only because she _could._

She could see a cluster of street lights feeling like steps away from her. If she could ditch him, she would.

Constantine was worth his weight in precious metals to her. She wasn't going to kill him for only the reason of vindictive; I hope you know that her plan was that she was to kill him just to put herself in Constantine's place- living on top of the world with everyone known in fear, full of everything she could never have as only herself. In a sad way, Constantine was her Idol.

Just as cruel as the fate everyone will face, she was going to _kill _the King.

Maybe she should've left him there- he wouldn't be able to catch up with her if she ran, and she knew how to kill the lights with the circuit breaker within sight.

Her only true excuse for staying with him was that our hero had her home on his back.

"Hurry up." She started walking again, slightly faster.

He had only a moment to catch his breath- "YOU CYNICAL LITTLE GIRL!"

Her huge goblin ears twitched, _"Hurry up."_

There was something about James that he didn't understand. He wasn't sure if it was just her outlook on everything, or her personality. Whatever it was, it made him feel uneasy only being near her.

He was wobbling along with on good leg and a crutch lamer than him. Even with this he needed to know that he wasn't really doing this for him- it was for Bubblegum and the Vampire Queen.

But Bubblegum? She hasn't even been mentioned until now; how in any way could she possibly have _anything at all _to do with what's been going on? That's ridiculous, there's no such thing as not mentioning a main character, or an important detail of a main character- that's stupid.

It was about half a limping hour more before they crossed the line into the little town, its lights shining more fierce than the sun. He squinted, eyes stinging.

The worn brick road led into a center with a disintegrating fountain with a circle of shops around; it made him wonder why people stayed in that place just by looking at it.

"So why are we here?" He asked, regaining his breath after a minute.

"I need to see if the 'Police' have any leads on Constantine, or even caught him- that would make my life a lot easier."

She led him to a small apartment building, about 4 floors high. He ditched the bags at the bottom of the staircase, before climbing up to the second floor with sore thighs.

It was a doorway with no door which led into the Station which was at that moment in a state of chaos. Fliers of Constantine were fluttering through the air landing in piles on the tattered green carpet. There were several abandoned cubicles with their wheelie chairs tipped over onto the desks or laying on the floor. There were people running back and forth from where he stood just outside, shouting out to one another trying to get things back in control.

He went into the room after James, walking into a specific office made of mostly glass. She opened its door for him; inside was a single lich stationary at a laptop behind a desk, "Um... hi…" the lich stated sarcastically, his shady hood turned to them, bone fingers hesitating on the keyboard.

"Hi," She said just as, "I'm the one who reported Constantine. I was wondering if you had any leads on his whereabouts?" She held a hand to her collarbone.

The cloaked figure turned back to the bright computer screen, "Yeah, we actually have no idea anymore." A _bing _came from the speakers, and announced that he won a thousand points.

She was quiet for a moment, "You haven't done _anything?" _She said very calmly, with a straight face that was scaring the human.

"Not exactly…" The speaker rang out another _bing _"The east-side officers brought him in from the Supper Savings Shop about four weeks ago. He went on trial and was found guilty, so he was going to be executed- but he escaped, like, two days ago, killing five of our guards in the process…" _bing._

He saw his opportunity, "So, how easy is your life right now?"

She pulled him out into the insanity again, down a starch white hall which led them to a long room, with a solid metal wall. There were four doors visible, but only the third was opened.

"I think this is where they temporarily keep criminals before they send them off to a high facility," James murmured, disappearing through the entryway the a single cell.

He followed her, leaning heavily on his crutch.

Inside a bright white light was blaring, over a bed, toilet, and sink. The walls would have been pure white, if not for the same sentence being written in something all over in huge, small, and gapping letters:

_I AM CONSTANTINE THE VAMPIRE KING_

_I AM CONSTANTINE THE VAMPIRE KING_

_I AM CONSTANTINE THE VAMPIRE KING_

* * *

><p>He and James sat together on the edge of the fountain, the bags at their feet, dwelling in a comfortable silence.<p>

She was angry- enraged, but kept quiet. It wasn't entirely because Constantine had beaten her in the first round, but instead _the reason _she didn't get there in time.

It was all because of HIM.

She would have gotten there several days earlier if she wasn't waiting for a stranger to stumble across her. Even faster if it hadn't rained. _Earlier if that stranger wasn't injured._

It was his fault. All of it was his fault! If He didn't take so long to get there, and smarter when confronting her, they would have gotten there on time for her to see Constantine again.

And suddenly in their very short professional relationship, she decided in her mind that she completely _hated _him for that, and would never forgive him.

She took the loop of his bag, and threw the whole 40 pounds over and into the fountain. The drops of water came flying out, landing on his back and her front.

He jumped up, turning around just for James to hurdle herself onto him.

He was brought to the brick road, his elbows catching him but they in turn were cut open and bleeding.

He screamed out, unable to do anything and James proceeded to tackle him.

Constantine was perched up on a branch above them in an owl like position, his axe-bass strung across his back, and notebook down his shirt.

When arrested, all his belongings were taken from him. But in his great escape, he was able to retrieve them fairly easily, leaving his Sack o' junk, and taking his two most prized possessions instead.

He was watching the little girl beat the guy almost 2 feet taller than her to the ground; if he wasn't in such deep emotion he would have laughed at him.

But that wasn't what caught his attention- it was the _smell._ The scent of iron wafted through the air and into his nose. He could feel the hunger suddenly take its leap into his mind.

He could hear the guy scream several times, his crutch flung away from his reach.

Constantine dropped from the branch silently, hovering just above the ground and back into the town, just a step away from entering the spotlights; he was stalking her try to kill the guy, who could only cover up his face from her attacks.

His sanguine eyes were glowing in the dark like a tiger's just standing there, waiting to pounce.

He stood... waiting.

And then in a split second, he shot towards the girl, knocking her off his chest.

The two tumbled together in each other's' arms painfully until he stopped them, and he froze.

"… YOU!" He yelled, scrambling off of her, "I remember you." He pointed a dirty finger at her.

She laid there on the ground for a moment, her eyes changing from shock to rage all over again. Her gaze left him for only a moment back to our hero, who was looking at her.

Constantine turned around, following his nose, but that time he stared.

He was standing there for only a handful of _seconds _before he said the one word he swore he would never speak again- "Finn?"

Finn watched Constantine's mouth form his name just like he knew it was shaped, but those lips were so familiar. The angular face, the voice, and the blood red eyes…

He knew his heart stopped and started again.

Constantine walked over to the boy still on the brick road, and stood over him. There were tears on his face again.

Just as Finn was pronouncing the first syllable, Constantine took his axe-bass from behind him, and smashed the flat side against the crown of Finn's skull.

Everything went black, then gone.

**Bam.**

**Here's an A/N. I'd like to ask anybody who'd like to, to draw this fanfic a cover art. Preferably something that doesn't give anything away (for people who haven't ready anything by the first chapter). YOU WILL GET FULL CREDIT! THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**Also, tonight is the last night of summer. I have to wake up at 5:45 tomorrow- and I think I might have to bang my head against a wall just because of that.**

**I am so sorry for how long the wait was for this chapter. I went through a severe case of writer's Block 2000 words in. D: I'm sorry. **

**And on a note, the "Flaming Rain" is actually Acid Rain, contributing to the darkness of the clouds and radiated animals.**

**But thank you for reading, you beautiful people!**


	8. The Lacuna in Her

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #7- The Lacuna in Her**

Finn was okay.

I'm just going to put that out there. He didn't suffer from any serious head-trauma, or have a heart attack or fall into a coma or anything unintended.

But even though he was alright, he was still in a quiet danger that was waiting for his wake.

He was sitting in the darkness of his own mind for only a moment, like a dreamless sleep. It was confusing, seeing her one moment, and everything blown in the next-

He had started finally to come to, and immediately as he woke he could feel that if he didn't make it out of the Cloud Forest alive, it was a helluva good day to die.

There was a throbbing somewhere in the crown of his skull, a dusty tongue in his mouth, and an aching in only one of his forearms.

There was precious darkness inside his eyelids, dirt beneath his hands, and a sinking feeling in his guts. He was lying on his front, the side of his face pressed to the earth floor. His shoulder had an Out-of-Place sensation; it had probably been pulled out of the socket.

He exhaled, eyes splitting open just slightly. He could see the little grains of dirt so close in a dim blue glow from a flashlight. He cautiously shifted over to his side, purposely keeping his head stationary as not to anger what had to be a concussion. His arm flopped onto his flat stomach uselessly.

He's woken up on the floor in a dark place enough times to know what to do in the situation. Though the fact that he knew who had brought him here, everything he knew to do needed to change.

"MARCELINE!"

He began to sit up, holding his impractical arm to his stomach right before a hand took his shoulder and pushed him back down again. "Don't hurt yourself," She said.

"Marceline I'm sorry!" He cried out immediately, trying to find her eyes in the darkness.

She hummed, and brought the tips of her fingers to the crown of his head promptly, "Does that hurt?"

He then noticed that his awesome hat was missing, "I… I'm _so _sorry, Marceline." His hat didn't matter at that moment, though.

Something damp dragged through his hair over the tender spot gently, "What are you doing in the Cloud Forest?" She asked, taking what must have been a rag away from him.

She was sitting behind him then, his head in her lap, "Because I needed to find you," He answered honestly, trying to figure out what time of day it was.

"Touching," He could hear the smile in her voice, "but that doesn't seem like a good reason to me." He tried to turn his head to look back at her, but she quickly grabbed the sides of his face to keep him looking forward. Her chilled skin started to bring him more into a consciousness where he was able to recognize the passing of time.

"I had to apologize," He just barely whispered, "everyone at home misses you, you know." His eyes fell closed.

She sighed, the scent of iron hitting his face, "No one would miss me," She crawled away from him, resting his head back down on the dirt floor, "If I left this place, no one would miss me." He didn't bother trying to watch her, but he knew she was then face-down on the ground just next to him. "They all hate me."

"What?" He almost snapped, "Me, PB, Lake and everybody _loves_ you, Marcie! You sound like little kid." He brought his eyes open and as far to the right as he could where he knew she was, but still could not see her, "Marceline?"

She didn't answer him, but he could hear her breathing.

"I… we should go back home. PB's all weird now without you." His voice softened, eyebrows pulling together.

She hummed a B note, stretching over him, she retrieved the flashlight, shinning it full force into his eyes.

He squeezed them shut, grinding his teeth as his eyes were burned away and the ache in his head being tormented.

"I don't know this 'Marceline' you keep mentioning," She pointed the light right on his face, "My name is _Constantine_, Mr. Finn, with a _C_." He said it calmly but with a stern edge, leaning over him.

He was blinded, using his only working hand for shade, _"What?" _

Constantine took Finn's hand, and forced it back down, "My name is _Constantine, _Finn. _I am Constantine the Vampire King, _okay? _Okay?" _ The grip on his wrist tightened suddenly, _"OKAY?!"_

Finn blank stinging tears from his eyes, the light was _killing him, _"But what about Bubblegum?!" C'mon, _Princess Bubblegum?_

"I don't like sweets," He said firmly, taking the flashlight away, and shining it from under his own face to create the perfect picture of Terror, "I'm a vampire, my friend, and _you_ like all people should know that I live off blood." His eyes as red as apples were staring him down, the points of his fangs peeking from his lips, his breath smelled heavily of iron still.

But it was so obvious that he was Marceline, there was no way he could hide it even with his Vampirific powers. His face was still a heart shape, lips full and eye lashes long. He still had small shoulders and the lanky yet curvy figure. The only thing missing was the chest, but that must've been easy to disguise, powers or not. And please, Finn could see the signature Axe-bass just feet away leaning up against a wall.

"Are you _nuts? _You-" He bit his lip, "You and Bubblegum! You… Oh my Glob, Marceline! Don't just _forget about that!_ Will you just…I- I'm so _so _sorry!" he took a fistful of his own hair, carful about where he grabbed, "I- I, I'm just _so _sorry that I-"He had to stop himself right there, he was going to have an emotional breakdown if he didn't.

Constantine looked at him quizzically from under his oily black hair, "Please don't pass out."

Finn could then feel the tears of distress dissolve against the skin of his baby face, _"Marceline, _I'm just this sad song with nothing to say anymore." He looked up at her- at him, questioning who he was actually talking to and who he was there to save, assuming they were still there to be saved, "And I don't think anyone cares, anyway."

* * *

><p><em>The Candy Kingdom was as lively as ever. Its citizens were running around, waving their spaghetti in the air filled with colored streamers and glitter fluttering to the ground from their grip.<em>

_It was Princess Bubblegum's 21__st__ birthday, the empire naturally in celebration. Anyone willing to go was invited to join the party in the Candy Castle. Finn waited for this occasion all year, trying to top his gift from the previous as always, because that's what he does._

_There were so many tables stacked with sweets. Enough to give even sugar cane diabetes, and it was absolutely beautiful._

_Jake was mauling everything edible, ignoring everybody for up to an hour until his stomach couldn't stretch any larger. It was disgusting when Jake got like that._

_This is the only happy time I'll tell you about in the entirety of this story- and even this ends in pain and tragedy. It is the first with a smile, it will not last long, and the joy will be killed soon. Please don't worry. _

_Nothing happy has happened yet, though. Everything that may have had anything to do with the _slightest_ bit of bliss was already clouded with a beautiful whisper of depression and a smack of angst with an overwhelming prescribed injection of Confusion that you can't ever say no to._

_The corruption of all things named in this story is unnervingly addicting. It's like an itch that won't be satisfied until all is settled- in a calm way or brutally. It's like the small cut on the roof of your mouth that would heal if you could only stop tonguing it. It's like the horrible feeling that you know when you're about to cry, but you can't because you're in public. It's the burning sensation you get from the snow, when your toes curl backward, a bruise on the bottom of your foot, when you swallow so fast you get a hiccup, the knot of hair bigger than your palm that you probably are going to have to cut off… It's all horribly unsettling as it should be, but how could it be so?_

_And our hero, as a matter of fact, was probably having the best day of his life. He didn't have to save _anyone _that day, all he had to do was party- he took full advantage of that._

_Really, he wasn't doing much other than dance his heart out, burning off the 2,000 calories of whatever the hell they had spread out that Jake hadn't gotten to already._

_Princess Bubblegum's birthday parties were always a blast, but that specific one was special- PB had just won the an award for re-inventing Airplanes (even though there was still no such thing as Re-invented pilots), something she had been trying to do for several years and had only just achieved in time for her birthday. _

_Everybody was looking to wish her a happy birthday or congratulations, but she was nowhere to be found after midnight passed._

_And of course that's when Finn had to think- _Dang it, Ice King! Just give it a break!

_Sweating like it was the middle of July, he started scoping out the crowds for pink, but came out with nothing. Naturally he would go pull Jake in with him to find her, but he wasn't anywhere to be found, either._

_Finn went into the castle, swarmed just as much as the courtyard was. It was crazy, but y'know, in a good kind of way- the Gerard kind of Way…_

_But really, it was Princess Bubblegum's party and if she hadn't been seen in a while, she was probably thrown into an Ice Prison like the week previous. His day off from saving anyone was over officially; thanks, Princess._

_He checked the library first. Nobody was in there, he couldn't blame them. So he went into her lab as well, but still the lights were killed and anyone who entered without a general knowledge of chemicals would be, too._

_He closed the door silently, wiping the sweat from his brow. When it came to finding PB he excelled without trying, it wouldn't take him longer than half an hour, and he had like this radar for her obnoxiously sweet personality._

_Radar or not, he was walking down the empty corridor when the sound of a grand piano was singing its notes to him. _

_It was a sad song with few keys used in the beginning, one at a time and drawn out slowly. He could feel that the vibrations were asking him to cry even within the few moments he had listened to._

_The single notes were cut few higher ones, until they were switched out again._

_He followed the music's trail with silent footsteps, listening so closely to each pause. He was eventually led to the Castle's theatre, its 12 feet tall French doors painted off-white open slightly, letting the sounds from inside leak out. The hallway itself was dark, allowing the bright golden light from what must have been the stage beckon him closer. _

_He slipped soundlessly into the theatre, and through the dozens upon dozens of seats, he could see the princess sitting at the piano which was placed in the center of the stage, and the Vampire Queen hovering on the bench beside her._

_To his right was the staircase that took him to the second floor of seats, where he over looked the two as what turned out was them both playing._

_He had not known Marceline to play anything other than the Bass, but it was probably stupid of him to think that over 1,000 years she only managed to learn one instrument of so many. The velvet carpet hid his steps as he walked to the edge of the balcony, and leaned forward, rested his elbows on the railing._

_The two traded off from higher notes, to deeper until the other played longer of what sounded like a child's lullaby. They both then began to play in furious harmony, so many keys being hit at once he had trouble seeing whose fingers were whose._

_Then Bubblegum played up to the higher notes, her to fingers beating on the same 2 keys just like a dancer._

_There were no words to describe what the song was, only that it had started tragic and simple, then became something so brilliant and ended in a different way._

_He had the urge to clap, but decided not to- he felt that he was not welcome there._

_His goal was to make sure she was safe and not being held prisoner, but he didn't want to leave just then. It was a clam atmosphere, a cool-down from the crazy party outside._

_But it was true. He _wasn't _welcome there _at all. _No one was supposed to know that she and Marceline were together. Especially not Finn; she loved him like a brother, but it was obvious that he couldn't keep his mouth shut to Jake, and Jake just couldn't keep his mouth shut. Period._

_There was minute or two of comfortable silence. But only that, only a few minutes of it._

_He watched the two lock eyes for a moment, and then quite unexpectedly lock lips as well._

_He couldn't help it; _he couldn't hold it in, _alright? How… how could anybody? "OH MY GLOB!"_

_Marceline pushed Bubblegum to the ground to protect her from the danger that wasn't there. She turned to where the noise came from, but said nothing. She didn't say anything ANYTHING ANYTHING she just STOOD THERE AND stared at him… with this horrible gaze, betrayed eyes, she just…_

_He knew someone had to be building a coffin his size somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, anywhere other than-_

"_You two?! A-are you; _WHAT?!" _He couldn't keep the words from spilling, he wasn't even trying to hide is rage or confusion, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"_

_He couldn't see the Princess from under the piano bench, but he could clearly hear her cries._

_Marceline's eyes wouldn't leave him, she didn't move, she DIDN'T DO anything… She wasn't going to do anything… she wasn't going to-_

_He ground his teeth, confusion forcing tears from him and animal howls from his throat. But eventually her stare became too much for him to handle, so he sprinted down the stairs and out the door._

_He had messed up everything EVERYTHING everything…_

_He was running of the Castle, and soon out of the Kingdom._

"_Oh… man," He held his head in his hands, an aching in more places than one, "I can't believe this." He looked back at the then foreign lights of the Candy Kingdom that were still glowing in the dead of night._

_What had he done?_

_He shouldn't have gone into the theatre, let alone stayed. He wasn't welcome there, he was so stupid…_

_But that was when it started to settle in- Holy cow, he just ripped PB and Marcie apart. He tore them both to shreds. It was all his fault; oh man it was all his fault HOLY FREAKING PIE HE JUST BEAT BUBBLEEGUM WITH A STICK._

"_Oh man," he turned back in the right direction, and started walking home, "Marceline is going to gouge my eyes out."_

_But no, she didn't do anything at that's what _killed _him. She just stared at him and that was it. Said nothing, did nothing, she didn't so sh-_

_He was practically ripping his hair out at that point. But it would only get worse, and worse until he fell into a phase of depression because that was the last time he saw Marceline the Vampire Queen._

_A week later he did in fact see Princess Bubblegum, but that wasn't a good sight, she was hit a lot harder than he was._

_It didn't make sense to him, it wouldn't, but it was his entire fault and he knew that in the least._

_Like a blade it stung, and he's been holding on until he'd be forced to see the Queen again._

* * *

><p>Constantine the Vampire King was basically a catastrophe of a soul, unworthy of love, loyalty, trust, or attention. He wasn't a good person, he wasn't horrible, he meant well but he was still a murderer. Yes, he was a murderer, but if you call him that would you have to go out and call all hunters murderers as well?<p>

Even he knew that it was disgusting, he tried- he really did, but there was no such thing as red food in the Cloud Forest unless you stole it (and what was our pathetic friend so against?). It was painfully ironic, and there wasn't much he could do about it.

He went to the Cloud Forest for a series of reasons, but why should you know them? No one would care why should they? He was an outcast, a loner, a vagabond, a freak of nature. He had gone for a good amount of reasons- and he hadn't gone just because of Finn, _as if!_ He had gone for something much more tragic and heartbreaking.

Marceline had packed up what little she needed and left after Finn had basically ripped her guts out, but not _because_ of it. How Finn could want her around, Bubblegum anymore if their secret was found was beyond her, but she took it as a hint and disappeared with the next breath of the weather.

Those were her closest friends, and if they didn't want her around, what was the point in staying?

But not even _that _was her reason.

There was no one who wanted her, no one could ever- so do you know what happened?

Marceline purposefully left everything that would remind her of life in Ooo in a hope of forgetting that life entirely. She went to the Cloud Forest because _that_ would always be there for her, bringing only the Family Axe and her journal. She did not think her name or her identity, and over the long period of time completely isolated and in the darkness, she began to convince himself that they were Constantine the Vampire King, and soon enough all was forgotten along with the suffering. But this is a certain way to describe Insanity.

He is Constantine the Vampire King, a thousand years earlier and another thousand years more he will be Constantine the Vampire King.

But what Marceline had planned additionally was for whomever she would become to only have the will to live long enough for herself to be forgotten by the world. The main and _true_ reason that Marceline had gone to the Cloud Forest was to die a quiet death, where no one find his body before the acid rain took care of it, and no one would notice him missing, anyway.

But who was he, or she, or they? They weren't Marceline, but could you call her Constantine? He didn't remember Ooo _at all, _and she… she was gone, long gone. All he could remember of Ooo was some kind of _total betrayal from this one guy who went by the name of Finn._ And that was it; he didn't remember why he felt it, or even who this Finn guy was.

Marceline the Vampire Queen was dead; Constantine had taken her place without even realizing he had been her at first. So, who could you blame?

Who was left to save?

Finn was still lying on his back for what must have been hours, unable to move without disturbing his head, therefore unable to do much of anything.

Constantine was leaning against the wall (which he had learned was actually the back of a restaurant) strumming a tune lazily on his bass, watching him closely.

It was weird, like, way beyond the weird he was used to. Constantine hadn't said a word, he just sat there and watched him like a coyote watches a baby. Yeah, he was edible to the other, but he had to have tasted really gross- he hasn't bathed in _way _too long.

And yet that still didn't matter to Constantine, Finn could swear that he was thinking of the best way to kill him behind those blood red eyes. Oh glob… Where was Jake when he needed him?

Finn did not move, just listened to the nonsense coming from the instrument.

He was so _so _bored. His arm was still dislocated and he could really use a pain-killer for his head. It was another 30 minutes until he spoke up, "Dude, do you mind playing something _uplifting?" _And that was it.

He could feel Constantine glare at him, and kept with whatever random song he had originally been playing. What a stuck up-

"I don't know you, but I think I do," He said after a minute, the music slowing to an infinite pause, "Have we met, like, in prison somewhere?"

"Um… you're not even close." Finn rolled his eyes, it had been several hours and he still couldn't get through to this guy.

"Are you sure? I mean, something's telling me to hate you, but I don't know _why _I should- do you have any insight on this…?" Constantine rested his axe in his lap, "'Cause, dude I swear I have this feeling that's telling me to kill you." He smirked lightly.

"Oh my glob, please don't," He really wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

Constantine sighed and walked on his knees over to him, "How's your head?" His hand found its way into Finn's hair, nudging the sore part gently.

"It'd be really great if you didn't touch it," He said cynically, taking the other's wrist and pushing it away, "and my arm popped out of its socket somehow."

His hands left his head, and went to his arm instead, "That's probably from when I dragged you here, sorry about that," Oh so suddenly the vampire snapped the bone back into the socket mercilessly.

He gasped inwardly, and quickly he stretched his arm out to make sure Constantine didn't do it wrong like Jake did that one time. He didn't say anything; if he did he would sound really stupid.

"Hey, where's James?"

"That's not important.

"But seriously, where is she?"

"Kids aren't supposed to be in the Cloud Forest."

"Give me a straight answer before I smack you."

"She was bitter."

"I'm going to smack you."

"_She was bitter."_

His gaze met the others, "You didn't…"

"I did." Constantine smiled at him, his oily black hair cascading down his face as he came in closer.

"I can't _believe _you," He snarled, his teeth even showing.

"Believe it." He was inches away, the deep scent of blood flowing over him.

"_You're a monster."_

Constantine forced his lips to his, "In the end."

**Heh…**

**Um, thankyouforreadingIloveallof you. **

**The piano's song was based off of "The Piano Duet" from the movie "The Corpse Bride".**

**Expect no more than 2 chapters at this point, beautiful people.**

**Thank you Choas~Neverthrive (DA) for the cover art!**

**Until then.**


	9. The Sycophant

**Impossible to Find**

**Chapter #8- The Sycophant**

There was only so much he could do.

She was a hazard, she was dangerous to everyone around including herself. Her corruption was remarkable, undisguised and open to the elements. It was lone on the surface, so clear in her eyes that she had cracked and dwelled in an inferno of rage and hate.

Children weren't meant to be in the cloud Forest for a reason- the acid that fell from the sky poisoned the air, ground water, and the animals they ate; it would lead to birth defects and health issues. And if that was avoided, another obstacle could not be:

Growing up in an internal darkness did things to the mind, it was best that it didn't happen in the first place. No matter how, any child of any age would be killed, by murder or sickness they would die.

Originally, Marceline left James with almost nothing as well as killing her father which was probably her only life line. If you would see this right from the beginning you might say that James was as good as dead, but we all know that James was too good to die like that.

In the end Marceline hadn't the heart to flat out kill a kid, but Constantine was a different story.

He was as heartless as James and had no problem being done with her, he knew it was for the better and she was trying to kill both him and Finn, so what did it matter?

He didn't give it a second thought when he snapped her neck, or took the first mouthful of her chemical touched blood, or when he dragged her lifeless body into the forest and left her. He didn't regret any of it, he was doing James a favor saving her from a lifetime of struggle, sickness, and angst.

He was no monster, just a hunter, a good-doer and a king.

Constantine killed children, ripped families apart, murdered officers, destroyed property and spent most of his days crying.

And he isn't sane.

* * *

><p>Finn was having a horrible day.<p>

Constantine was emotional, stuck-up, explosive, but all at the same time a very quiet guy.

He broke into tears when Finn said _"Get away from me!" _and sat curled in a ball up against a wall for an hour.

He insisted that he wasn't a _"monster" _as if his life really did depend on it, he went on and on…

He screamed when Finn called him _"a loser"_ and threatened to break a bone.

But any other time he was as silent as the grave he was waiting to enter if he stuck around. Finn often forgot he was there, and would have totally if not for the occasional tune or whimper.

He didn't know who he hated more- James, or Constantine for killing James.

He'll be honest; he hated James just as much as the next guy. She was cold, angry and wanted him dead. She messed up everything up for him and his search would have been much easier without. Yet still, the inevitable was that there was no way you could hold it against her.

And Constantine, he did nothing wrong, he really only helped him a lot, thus far Finn's neutral feels over him. Even though it _was _Constantine's fault James was in the equation all together, there was no way you could put it to him, either.

What was killing him though, was how the guy was face down to the dirt sobbing and whining over how he was dying and how everything hated him.

Finn was being a huge jerk that day, and had no choice but to ignore him. He couldn't move to hug him without his head spinning (did _you _get knocked over the head with an axe?) and really didn't want to speak in fear of his voice breaking painfully as he hadn't drunken anything in an unknown amount of time.

He rolled his eyes, and was forced to listen to the pathetic sobs of the Vampire King. He had only ever met one king before- he was crazy and lonely- he didn't see the difference between him and Constantine.

The Cloud Forest was labeled for many things; notorious for the countless missing people who enter it, known for the murders that occurred in the shadows, branded for the ones who were lost in its eternal darkness and made it out alive incredibly unstable.

There were many newcomers trapped in an unexpected black-out, some of them sat tight until the lights reclaimed the dark, most did not. There were creatures that lurked in the dusk that waited for the innocent, to quench thirst or satisfy hunger they took any soul and smothered it; a last sight would be the darkness that stretched on forever.

Constantine's fate was arguable. He was literally born from the mind in the obscurity, with nothing but a vague memory of a father, a crushing feeling over a stuffed bear, a Japanese styled journal locked with no key and an axe-bass that he somehow could play, he was quite alone. He was a child, only months old and still learning (quickly) what the world was. He was so _broken _over everything that was nothing, so _taken._ And Finn, the first guy he really met already _hated him. _Was he that horrible? What was wrong with him, could he change?

And Ice King, he had done nothing wrong at all in his time; he was proven time and time again of his mental condition, yet hadn't ever received care for it _because please, everyone hated the Ice King. _ He was isolated enough of the time to contribute to his beautiful insanity, _and maybe the only one who could accept him was a wife._ Shunned away from society and forced to dwell in the cold of hatred, only company the evil creations made by the powers of his self, or the animals with no choice but to serve him.

No one really knew if he was crazy or just confused, but there was no doubt about it; Constantine would meet the same destiny that Ice King had one way or another if nothing was changed.

It was obvious from the beginning that our vampire friend was hurt from the isolation just as the Ice Wizard had been, but what he didn't realize yet was that Constantine was _just _as insane as him, too. More dangerous, angrier, more aware of how to _kill;_ our dear outcast was ready for slaughter while Finn could hold him off for only so long…

And after an hour of crying, Finn was forced to ask in a voice as smooth as gravel- "Are you okay?"

Constantine bounded in on himself, as if the few sarcastic and simple words bit him, _"No." _And then a few sniffles.

Finn pursed his lips, "Well, can I _help?" _He was so thirsty and hungry and needed to use the bathroom. This guy was just _sobbing _when he needed someone to take care of him at least _minimally_ before he literally died.

Constantine tilted his head so only his blood red eyes peeked out through his elbow, "No…"

That boy was pathetic, "Then can you help _me?"_

His full head emerged just above his shoulder, "…What's wrong?"

Finn glared at him, but shortly listed what he needed.

"Oh," He stood abruptly, and hovered over the human, falling so close until he was just inches away, and "Stay still."

Constantine didn't do anything stupid. Nope, he was just being realistic.

The vampire carefully scooped the motionless boy up into his arms, rising slowly from the dirt ground cradling Finn.

Finn was suffering from three things:

One was a headache. He was hit over the head, shut up.

Another was the fact that Constantine was a slaughterer (and that was a messy job, you know) and hadn't taken a bath in months or more, let alone changed his clothes. The guy was always on the run, he got _sweaty _and _dirty _and _blood covered _because that's what he _does; _don't expect any more from the guy. And you see, Finn was pressed against his chest (or filthy black sweater) with no real "Fresh Air" to breathe.

And finally, Finn the Hero was experiencing a much greater blow to his pride, riding bridal-style in the King's arms, gripping tightly to the hood around the other's neck. He was in too bad a mood to do anything about it, and he eventually had to leave his faith in Constantine's feminine hands.

Constantine if it was possible smelled worse than death. The _smell _of death still lingered in his hair and clothes, traces of blood were still under his nails and faintly smeared across his mouth from a passed meal. He _reeked_ of salty tears, vomit, and sweat- only a Lich's decaying limbs could have been worse. But at that specific point in time, Finn was not in the position to say anything to Constantine about his _odors._

It didn't last long though; the vampire quietly found the edge of town. It was a spaced out collection of homes where the streetlights dwindled off to almost none. Immediately he picked one, and landed on its door step. He didn't even check if the door was open, simply breaking it off its hinged and walking inside like it was his.

Finn didn't say anything about it, not as Constantine found a couch to rest him on, or when he left into the home's kitchen, or when there were higher pitched screams being heard, or when Constantine came back with the renewed stench of blood on his breath with a glass of water in hand.

He drank without hesitation, and with his still broken voice he said _"Go take a bath."_

The white light in the kitchen was enough for him to see the stupid smile on the vampire's face, but Constantine rested the glass on the floor beside him, and walked off into house. The quite lurching of pipeworks in the walls came when the water was turned on. He didn't see Constantine for another hour, until he came back.

He was wearing a loose fitting white t-shirt and baby blue pajama pants that stopped just above his ankles, decorated with sheep. His hair was still dripping wet, but as far as Finn could tell, the guy was clean and smelled like cheap soap when he came near.

"You should probably take one, too."

Finn panicked; he couldn't walk, there was no other way to _get _to the bathroom with being carried, and he would have a pretty hard time undressing and re-dressing himself as well. And knowing Constantine's thoughts of our hero, he didn't want that to happen under any circumstances no matter how _filthy_ he was.

"I'll take one when we get home," He bit the inside of his cheek, waiting fearfully for his answer.

Constantine sat down on the carpeted floor with his back to the couch, "Where did you say you lived, again?"

"Ooo. It's, um, the 'Main Land' I guess." Finn saw that Constantine's dark hair was well past his ears, he could probably braid it…

"What's it like there?" He turned his head to Finn, his hands fiddling in his lap.

"You can see for yourself tomorrow," Finn took another sip of water, "You're coming with me."

Constantine looked away again, "That's not happening."

He put the glass back down, "Don't you try to fight it, brother."

The vampire became noticeably tense, "What are you even _talking _about? I don't even _know _who you are, Finn. You shouldn't be trying to scare me like that, you know, that's not _right." _ He was picking at his finger nails, and shaking his head violently like he didn't understand what the other was talking about.

"I'm not trying to _scare _you, I _care_ about you. What, do you _not _wanna come with me?" Finn sat up just slightly, leaning against the arm rest that he had been using as a pillow.

Constantine's hands found their way into his hair, "Oh please just leave me alone! Why would I even…" he let out a frustrated groan, hands then covering his red eyes, "You're so _confusing."_

Finn squinted his eyes, wondering what the in the world could have been going on in the guy's head. "Constantine, I _want _you to come with me, alright? I dunno why you don't, there isn't any reason for you to stay here, dude, and even _I _know that," Finn would put his hand on the other's shoulder, but he was already standing.

"Well maybe I just wanna stay here!" Constantine started to sniffle, wiping his eyes and nose occasionally, "Maybe I like it here!"

"Maybe you're lying."

"_I'm not lying!"_ Constantine spread the tears from his eyes to his palms and refused to look at him.

"Guy, you don't have a place here, if you stay you're dead."

He fell on the vacant cushion at Finn's feet on the verge of full blown sobs, "I've been fine until now!"

"So then _come _with me, don't be stupid!"

"Why are you _so-"_

"I'm leaving tomorrow, and if you don't come you're _crazy!" _Finn pointed a finger to his chest, "Don't make me do that!"

The vampire was kneeling onto the couch, finally staring the human down, _"Please don't leave."_

Finn ground his rows of teeth together, "I will."

Constantine was at that point crying, tears staining the beige fabric below them, _"You can't… LEAVE ME, FINN!" _He lunged forward taking balls of his shirt into his fists and pulled him close enough for their noses to smash together, "Please… just don't _leave_ me." His breath smelled vaguely like mint, he had brushed his teeth not too long ago. His hair was still soaked, little droplets of water and tears falling onto Finn's cheeks and chest.

Inside heart was breaking. Constantine's words were really hitting him, but he still said _"Come with me."_

"_Please, Finn." _Lips pressed to his once again, but quickly.

He forced himself not to push away, "If you want me to stay with you," he brought his eye brows together, "than you'll come with me…"

* * *

><p><strong>Sandy my favorite hurricane was such a bitch. I'm in the New Jersey- New York area (I'm from Jersey, what am I saying…?) and I like many people got the full blow of this mother.<strong>

**So, while in the high of the storm I finished this chapter for you beauties (because my power was out- no internet, that means no tumblr to distract me-).**

"_**Quincy, how the hell are you on the computer during a hurricane, get away from the window!"**_

"_**Mom, I'm very committed to my fanfiction; a hurricane won't stop me, only internet can do that."**_

**So, I hope you liked the chapter in the least, I don't think it was very good, I found it pretty boring while revising. I'm very sorry for the wait too; if you'd get a tumblr you'd understand why it takes me so long…**

**And also, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter's A/N, but there were lyrics from My Chemical Romance's song Disenchanted, specifically "Just a song with nothing more to say", sorry for not mentioning that before babies**

**But anyway, let me say my thank you's: Thank you generator for the wifi, I can usually count on you. Thank you Neverthrive for the coverart. Thank you Microsoft Word for not running on wifi, I was able to use you last night when the power was out. Thank you Sandy for getting me out of school Monday and Tuesday (now go to hell!). And now THANK YOU TO ALL FOR THE FAVS, ALERTS, FOLLOWS, AND REVIEWS!**

**One more chapter- actually it's an epilogue. Probably be here in (a month) a few weeks!**

**-MH**


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Jake, I'm home!"

Constantine held onto his black umbrella, following Finn into the Tree Fort. At first he thought Finn was joking when the made it over the hill. Not that he thought it was weird or anything like that, it was because of its sure _size_. He didn't know any kind of person with need of that much space; did Finn get lonely when he was home, or did he like being alone?

The two of them walked quietly into the front room, full of gold and treasure. Who would leave all of their valuables where anybody could walk right in and take them?

Finn led him up the ladder to a small mud room that reached into what must have been his attic judging by all the trash.

"What the…" Finn said, "Jake, you _lazy _dog!" He kicked empty cups and boxes out of the way for them to walk through.

Constantine spotted a crescent shaped red couch with a ripped painting of a woman above it through all of the junk.

"Jake!" Finn threw down his huge pack, and climbed into a cubby hole that had ladder, "Jake, where are you?! ANSWER ME, DOG!"

Constantine hovered above the couch, clearing just enough space for him to sit down. Finn's home was _weird_.

It wasn't until several minutes later did he come back down in the arms of a fat dog.

"Marceline?" The dog dropped Finn in a pile of trash, "What happened to your hair?"

Constantine frowned, and embarrassed, brought his eyes down to the floor boards. Was his hair too shaggy, did he need a haircut? He knew that that _Shampoo _stuff couldn't be trusted, his hair wasn't _fine in texture _like it said on the bottle.

"Jake, can we talk?" Finn asked quickly, nodding to the door way.

Jake could not have had a more confused look, but reluctantly followed Finn into what he later found to be the Weapon Room.

He knew they went into the other room to speak in private, but Constantine was still a vampire and could hear everything they would say, whether he liked it or not.

The dog asked _"Dude, where have you been?"_

"_The…"_ He hesitated,_ " the Cloud Forest."_

"_Why did it take so _long?!"

They went on, "_a month or more"?_ But it "_only felt like a week"._ Was Jake "_kidding"_?

But then Finn stopped, _"Wait! Aren't you a daddy?!"_

And in a moment, Jake broke down in rattling sobs.

He had _"been gone for a month",_ things had _"happened"._

"_What about Lady?"_

"_She's fine… kind of…"_

Constantine was busy listening in when a fat little white zombie poodle came trotting into the room, and onto his lap. The thing started licking his face and barking happily until he shoved it away to keep it quiet.

"_Where is she?"_

"_Upstairs, but let me tell her that y'guys are here first."_

Finn hummed, _"I think we'll stop by the Candy Kingdom before that, to see Bubblegum? We'll be back later."_

"_Bubblegum is better by the way,"_ Jake said, sniffling a bit.

Bubblegum. Why would Constantine want to see _her,_ what did she have to do with _him?_

He squinted his eyes at the poodle, wagging its tail and staring at him with wide eyes.

He hated dogs.

* * *

><p>"This doesn't make much sense, Finn." She said, rolling her chair away from the computer screen, "Actually, it doesn't make sense at all."<p>

Finn sighed, taking his eyes off Constantine, and instead looking to Bubblegum, "What part of it?"

She frowned heavily, "It's just what _happened_ that doesn't make sense."

"Do you want me to explain _again?"_ Constantine groaned from across the room, falling heavily in a pink armchair, slouching down as far as he could without falling out.

The princess sighed, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward to the both of them, "But please let me try to _understand _this," She swiveled in her seat to the immortal, "You are telling me that your name is Constantine, you have lived in the Cloud Forest as long as you can remember, and your father is somewhere _far, far _away and you have no memory of him?"

"Yes!" He sunk down further into the chair.

She then turned to Finn who was standing lonely in the center of the lab, "And you're saying that this is Marceline, but she's just a little bit confused?"

Finn shrugged, blushing when Constantine groaned loudly and began glaring at him.

She leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs again, "I'm not Freud, but if I could take some scans and ask more, that could help?"

"Scans of _what?"_ Constantine switched to glaring at her.

She knocked on the side of her head with knuckles, "Just of your skull and brain, to check for trauma…"

His eyes narrowed, "You think I hit my head?"

Bubblegum's eyes drifted to the ceiling, _"Well…"_

He launched out of his chair, "You think I'm _crazy?"_ No one responded. "I'm not insane!"

"It's just for-" Finn started.

"_I'M NOT CRAZY!"_

"Dude, would you-"

"I'm not_ crazy, _Bonnibel!" He shouted, gasping to hold back tears, "I'm not, _okay?!_ I know I'm not! If I was crazy could I have even _survived_ in there?!" His hands were brought to his chest with a slap, "I would be DEAD, Finn would be dead!" Constantine pointed at the human, "You don't even _know _what was hiding in there! You don't know how many people I had to kill, how many _things_ tried to kill _me!"_

Bubblegum stood _slowly, cautiously_ "Please_,_ Constantine, let me at least make sure that nothing else is wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with me! I'm _fine_, I promise!"

Bubblegum gave him this saddened, motherly smile, folding her hands over her stomach, looking as if she herself were to cry as well, "Alright."

Finn stood tenser than ever, very lost.

Constantine took a deep breath, gaze falling to the tiled floor, wiping under his eyes hastily.

She took his arm, and led him out of the room calmly, asking him if he was hungry.

Immediately, Finn collapsed into the then vacant wheely-chair.

How had that even _happened? _Did PB suddenly not believe him, and went with Constantine's side instead? Wasn't it _obvious_ who he… she, was?

Finn sighed, leaning back further.

His crystal blue eyes wandered off to the few possessions the vampire refused to leave behind in the Tree Fort.

An Axe-Bass, and a little notebook…

If the Bass didn't admit when Constantine wouldn't, _nothing _did!

Finn moaned noisily, throwing his legs out so the heels of his sneakers made a clapping sound.

He stared for a long time at those 2 objects sitting in the armchair.

How could Marceline not _remember?_

He eventually had to get up as he butt started to fall asleep, so instead he went over to them, picking up the journal.

Finn had asked what it was days ago; Constantine told him that he didn't know. Where was the key to it, he said he didn't remember. Had he ever opened it- no.

Finn toyed with the silver lock, no bigger than his thumb nail.

There were probably lots of secrets and stories written on its pages. He was probably mentioned in it a load of times when Marceline was still Marceline.

He pursed his lips, trying to bend the covers back to see through to the pages.

The tension, he supposes, was too much after only a minute when he'd gotten enough space to make out the first letters before the little lock burst off the hook and went flying somewhere.

Finn dropped the notebook as if it had burned his hands brutally.

He picked the book up again, quickly flipping to the only dog-eared page near the back, which happened to be the last entry.

_Dear reader,_

_If you are in fact being a reader, you didn't have trouble finding the key… I don't see how that could have happened, unless you decided to smash my bass… _

_Reader, you need to burn this book and burry the ashes because if I read this- things would be really bad for whoever I become (unless you're like, really supportive and willing to help me through it)._

_The Cloud Forest is pretty much known for driving people insane with mad loneliness, which is kinda why I'm going here._

_Um, yeah. I'm not going to remember much, so if for some reason I need to, like _need_ to, then this little book should be real helpful._

_Thanks to much._

Finn brought the book down, skimming over it again.

And again.

And again.

"Oh, you're still in here? I was just coming for my bass." Constantine said from the doorway, strolling in. Finn stayed silent, watching him as he came up to see what he was reading. Constantine's eyebrows pulled together, "What is this?" He tore Finn's hand away to look at the cover. "I… oh…"

Finn handed them the book, and left them to read.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all for reading and reviewing.<strong>

**This is my last story for Adventure Time for at least a year or more (I'm planning to some back someday).**

**This story has taken me **_**way**_** too long to write, MONTHS? Almost a year… wow… what have I done with myself…**

**But anyway, still thank you all, I hope this has resolved all confusion. Still confused, no…? Was it not clear enough what happened to Jake's babies or…? Why is everybody in this story crying…?**

***Sigh* Thank you again!**

**-The MasterHama**


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